Category: FOIC press releases

Nominations are being sought for the 2014 Distinguished Wisconsin Watchdog Award, presented annually to recognize an individual’s extraordinary contributions to open government or investigative journalism in Wisconsin. Dave Zweifel, editor emeritus of The Capital Times and a founder of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, was named the inaugural winner in 2011. The late Dick […]

A statement by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council regarding new claims that state lawmakers are effectively immune from the state’s Open Records Law. Statement on claims of legislative immunity to state Open Records Law September 13, 2013 The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council is shocked and saddened that a member of the state Legislature is, […]

A statement by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council: As a rule, emails created by public officials that discuss government business and policies are the public’s property and should be available to the public. But hundreds, and possibly thousands, of emails created in secret by some of former Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker’s office staff […]

U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, the chief author of Wisconsin’s Open Records Law and a strong advocate of the Open Meetings Law, has been named the 2013 recipient of the Distinguished Wisconsin Watchdog Award. The award is a highlight of the third annual Wisconsin Watchdog Awards reception and dinner, presented jointly on Wednesday, April 24, […]

For immediate release  Contact: Bill Lueders, (608) 669-4712 The Wisconsin Supreme Court has rendered an important decision, affirming that the state’s open records law means what it says when it limits public officials to charging records requesters for just the “actual, necessary and direct cost” of making copies and in some cases locating and sending […]

March 23, 2012 Contact:Kenneth Bunting, NFOIC executive director, (573) 882-3075, buntingk@missouri.eduBill Lueders, WFOIC president, (608) 669-4712, blueders@wisconsinwatch.org COLUMBIA, MO — Gene Policinski, senior vice president and executive director of the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University, has been chosen to deliver the keynote address at the 2012 FOI Summit May 11 and 12 in Madison, […]

February 16, 2012 Contact:Kenneth Bunting, NFOIC executive director, (573) 882-3075, buntingk@missouri.eduBill Lueders, WFOIC president, (608) 669-4712, blueders@wisconsinwatch.org COLUMBIA, MO — The National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC) announced that it will join the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council (WFOIC) in hosting the 2012 FOI Summit in Madison, WI, May 11-12. The annual FOI Summit, a […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJan. 31, 2012CONTACT: Andy Hall, 608-262-3642, ahall@wisconsinwatch.org Journalist Dick Wheeler chosen for Distinguished Wisconsin Watchdog Award Dick Wheeler, the late founder of the Wheeler Report, has been named the 2012 recipient of the Distinguished Wisconsin Watchdog Award in recognition of his four decades of tirelessly opening Wisconsin state government to public scrutiny. The […]

Wis. Freedom of Information Council to honor whistleblower, openness advocates The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, a state group devoted to protecting public access to meetings and records, is seeking nominees from news organizations and others for its annual Opee Awards, which are presented in March, just prior to national Sunshine Week, which this year […]

November 11, 2011 Chief Edward FlynnMilwaukee Police Department951 North James Lovell StreetMilwaukee, WI 53233 Re: Recent Photojournalists’ Arrests Dear Chief Flynn: The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council (“WFOIC”) writes this letter to express its concern about the Department’s recent arrests of photojournalists performing their duties in Milwaukee, including Clinton Fillinger on September 19, 2011, and […]

For immediate release  Contact: Bill Lueders, (608) 669-4712 The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council is deeply concerned about the arrests of citizens for filming the Wisconsin Legislature, a right expressly afforded by the state’s Open Meetings Law. “These arrests appear to violate the spirit and the letter of the Open Meetings Law which, ironically enough, […]

By Bill Lueders, WisFOIC President I’d like to thank you all for coming. I should confess that I had very little to do with putting together this event. Primary credit for that goes to the Wisconsin Center for Investigative journalism, and especially Andy Hall. This was his idea, and I wisely insisted that he do […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE3/15/2011 CONTACT: Andy Hall, 608-262-3642, ahall@wisconsinwatch.orgBill Lueders, 608-251-5627, blueders@isthmus.com Dave Zweifel, editor emeritus of The Capital Times, has been named the inaugural recipient of the Distinguished Wisconsin Watchdog Award in recognition of his decades-long efforts to increase public access to information about government. Zweifel will receive the award April 20 at the first […]

WISCONSIN FREEDOM OF INFORMATION COUNCIL101 KING ST. MADISON WI 53703 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Bill Lueders  (608) 251-5627 May 26, 2011 Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council statement on Judge Maryann Sumi’s ruling The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council appreciates the thoughtful analysis that instructed Dane County Circuit Court Judge Maryann Sumi’s ruling striking down the collective […]

WISCONSIN FREEDOM OF INFORMATION COUNCIL 101 KING ST. MADISON WI 53703 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bill Lueders  (608) 251-5627 March 10, 2011 State Freedom of Information Council bestows annual “Opee” Awards The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, as part of national Sunshine Week (sunshineweek.org), March 13-19, is bestowing its fifth annual round of awards in […]

Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council weighs in on open meeting controversy On Thursday, March 10, at 10:50 a.m., Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council President Bill Lueders issued the following statement: I have been asked whether the Wisconsin FOIC has a position on last night’s action by the state Legislature. As you know, I am not a […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008 Contacts: Bill Lueders, President of Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, (608) 251-5627 or blueders@isthmus.com Jason Shepard, Ph.D. Candidate, UW-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication, (608) 445-8448 or jmshepar@wisc.edu For more information, visit www.wisfoic.org. 3 in 10 public-records requests not properly fulfilled, new study finds A statewide public […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bill Lueders (608) 251-5627 March 12, 2009 State FOI Council Bestows Annual “Opee” Awards The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, as part of national Sunshine Week (sunshineweek.org), March 15-21, is bestowing its third annual round of awards in recognition of people and institutions that have shaped the fortunes of open government […]