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Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council

Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council

A representative government is dependent on an informed electorate

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Category: 2009 Columns

Your Right to Know is a monthly column distributed by the FOIC.

December: Bring transparency to state spending

December 18, 2009January 24, 2018WisFOIC

  It’s a simple premise; if the state is going to tax you to pay for something, you should at least be able to find out how those dollars are spent. Thanks to the Internet, achieving this is easier than ever. And in a traditional home of open government like Wisconsin, one would think transparency […]

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November: WIAA needs greater transparency

November 10, 2009January 24, 2018WisFOIC

  The state of Wisconsin has a long tradition of open and transparent government. This is a reflection of our Wisconsin values, which place great importance on the individual citizen’s involvement in government. The state also has a strong tradition of athletics. Whether it is the Packers, the Badgers, or the local high school football […]

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October: Keep court records system open

October 14, 2009January 24, 2018By Bill Lueders

For the last decade, Wisconsin has been providing comprehensive online access to the workings of the state’s court system. Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, or WCCA, has generated billions of hits, saved countless hours of staff time for clerks of courts, and eased access to what is unquestionably public information. But now a serious legislative effort […]

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September: What records requesters want–a top ten list

September 24, 2009January 24, 2018By Christa Westerberg

Recently, I was asked to present at a conference on open government held by the Wisconsin Counties Association, as someone who uses and promotes the use of the state’s open records law. What did I want this roomful of records custodians to know? Thus, the Top Ten Things Requesters Want list was born. It’s not […]

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August: Open-records delays common, enforcement lax

August 21, 2009January 24, 2018WisFOIC

On paper, Wisconsin’s open records law demands some of the highest levels of disclosure in the country. But for the average citizen, gaining access to the workings of government in Wisconsin can become a lengthy ordeal because the law has no deadlines for turning over records. “The key thing to understand when you look at […]

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July: Court keeps state labor info open to you

August 3, 2009January 24, 2018By Bob Dreps

In some ways, the dispute was a lawyer’s dream: It was a case of first impression presenting an unusual mix of labor relations, public records and constitutional law. But the case also presented a potential nightmare for officials who keep custody of records, those who want to review them, and anyone else who cares about […]

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June: Attorney general’s office plays vital openness role

June 10, 2009January 24, 2018By Bill Lueders

A few times each month, the office of Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen sends me batches of e-mails containing its responses to citizens and public officials who write it seeking guidance on open government issues. The state’s open records and open meeting laws specifically state that “any person” may ask the office for advice on […]

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May: Public notice change should be stopped in its tracks

May 19, 2009January 24, 2018By Dave Zweifel

Perhaps the Democrats on the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee thought this would be a good time to kick newspapers while they’re down. For many legislators, newspapers do tend to be a pain in the butt, after all. But really what they did this month, when on a strict 12-4 party-line vote they decided to end […]

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April: Support lawmakers’ effort to end secret meetings

May 5, 2009January 24, 2018WisFOIC

State lawmakers get plenty of perks – ornate Capitol offices, attentive staff, free parking on the Square, daily allowances, generous pay, health insurance and pensions. But the biggest perk of all is hardly noticed or ever discussed. Senators and representatives get to meet with their partisan pals behind closed doors in secret meetings whenever they […]

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February: 911 tapes: Public access helps assess emergency response

March 20, 2009January 24, 2018By Dee J. Hall

“I just came home, the door was bashed in and my girlfriend has been shot.” Those were the words of Jordan Gonnering, speaking to a 911 dispatcher last April after he found the body of Brittany Zimmermann in the downtown Madison apartment that he shared with her. Increasingly, the media use transcripts and audio of […]

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March: Group doles out the honors

March 13, 2009January 24, 2018By Bill Lueders

As part of national Sunshine Week, March 15-21, the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council is bestowing its third annual Opee Awards in recognition of people and institutions that have had an impact on open government in Wisconsin during the last year. The honorees are: Political Openness Advocate of the Year (the “Popee”): Roger Allen. Most […]

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Recent Posts

  • May: When people die, openness matters
  • April: Improve access to municipal court records
  • March: Opee Awards highlight highs and lows
  • February: How cost is used to deny access to records
  • Wisconsin FOIC Seeking Opee Award Nominations through Jan. 31, 2025

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