A representative government is dependent on an informed electorate
Journalists and others often have cause to complain about the difficulties of prying public information from public officials. But sometimes there are reasons for optimism. Wisconsin has one of the nation’s best systems for accessing court records, through Wisconsin Circuit Court Access. The system has saved county clerks of court countless hours providing this information. […]
Continue ReadingA 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 […]
Continue ReadingMarch 10-16 is national Sunshine Week, meant to call attention to the cause of open government. For the seventh year in a row, the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council is taking this opportunity to bestow its annual Openness Awards, or Opees. The council, which works to protect public access to meetings and records, is giving […]
Continue ReadingA ruling last year by the Wisconsin Supreme Court involving the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel became the focus of attention Feb. 27, when a state Assembly committee held a public hearing on a bill, AB 26, that would drastically increase the cost of obtaining public records. The bill, if approved, would let custodians of public records […]
Continue ReadingAs we were expecting, a bill to allow custodians to impose a new fee for the time they spend reviewing and redacting records has been introduced in the current legislative session. It is AB 26. The text is here. This bill has been scheduled for a hearing next Wednesday, Feb. 27, in Room 225 of […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council Minutes of the Oct. 20, 2011 meetingCapital Newspapers auditorium 1) The meeting was called to order at 1:35 p.m. Present were Dee Hall, Bob Dreps, Mike Mulvey,Mark Pitsch, Dave Pyle, Perry Boxx, Michael Buelow, Doug Wojcik, Tom Bier, Anita Weier,Christa Westerberg, Bill Lueders, Andy Hall, Bob Drechsel, Dave Zweifel and […]
Continue ReadingU.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, […]
Continue ReadingFrom the Chippewa Herald, an editorial on the proposed bill to allow records custodians to charge for the cost of reviewing and redacting records.
Continue ReadingLet’s start with a stipulation: Not all of the inappropriate behavior that takes place in the Wisconsin state Legislature is committed by lawmakers. Some spectators, especially in the last two years, have also shown poor manners and bad form. People who shout “Liar!” from the gallery as the governor gives a State of the State […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council Oct. 11, 2012 meetingCapital Newspapers Auditorium 1) The meeting was called to order at 2:05 p.m. In attendance were Dee Hall, Christa Westerberg, BillLueders, Bob Drechsel, Mark Pitsch, Roger Schneider, John Dye, Doug Wojcik, Dave Zweifel, Tom Bier,Anita Weier, Andy Hall, Bob Dreps, Steve Lovejoy, Michelle Vetterkind and guests Orville […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council July 12, 2012Capital Newspapers Auditorium 1) Call to order. Meeting was called to order at 2:06 p.m. In attendance were Dee Hall, AndyHall, Mary Callen, Bob Dreps, Gina Duwe, Sean Dwyer, Tom Bier, Michelle Vetterkind, MarkPitsch, Michael Buelow, Chris Hardie, Roger Schneider, Dave Zweifel, George Stanley, BobDrechsel, Steve Lovejoy, Christa […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council Minutes of the April 19, 2012 meetingCapital Newspapers auditorium 1) The meeting was called to order at 2:10 p.m. In attendance were Dee Hall, MarkPitsch, Beth Bennett, Bob Dreps, Chris Hardie, Michael Buelow, Doug Wojcik, Dave Zweifel,Bob Drechsel, Bill Lueders, Christa Westerberg, Andy Hall, Steve Lovejoy and Gina Duwe andguests […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council Minutes of the Jan. 19, 2012 meetingCapital Newspapers auditorium 1) The meeting was called to order at 2:05 p.m. Attending were Dee Hall, Bob Dreps, RogerSchneider, Tom Bier, Perry Boxx, Michael Buelow, Anita Weier, Steve Lovejoy, Doug Wojcik,Dave Zweifel, Bob Drechsel, Mark Pitsch, Andy Hall, Bill Lueders, Gina Duwe, ChristaWesterberg […]
Continue ReadingThe Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, a nonprofit group that works to protect public access to meetings and records, is inviting nominations for its 2012-13 Opee awards, recognizing achievements high and low. The awards can recognize actions from February 2012 through to the present day. The awards will be announced in March as part of the […]
Continue ReadingStung by controversy last year over its allegedly light treatment of an environmental rule breaker, the state Department of Natural Resources is rewriting its enforcement procedures. Unfortunately, a draft of its plan calls for making the process less transparent. When dealing with polluters, the DNR’s policy is to apply progressively stricter actions until violations are […]
Continue ReadingRecently the City of Burlington made some changes to its website, adding a feature it calls a “performance dashboard.” The online tool gives city residents a better look – much of it in real time – about what their government is doing. As the site explains, “Users can review monthly and yearly revenue, expenditures, per […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin’s Open Records Law asserts the public’s right to the “greatest possible information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of those officers and employees who represent them.” But the law’s reach has been tested in recent years by electronic communications that are easily sent — and just as easily deleted — from […]
Continue ReadingFrom the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a story of how five Republican legislators settled an open records lawsuit by two liberal groups by agreeing to turn over emails from their personal accounts to and from a conservative organization that works with corporations to draft legislation.
Continue ReadingIn the La Crosse Tribune, Betsy Bloom examines the open records implications of cellular texts and tweets among public officials.
Continue ReadingFrom the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the story of a Court of Appeals decision that all government contractors are subject to Minnesota’s open records laws. “Under the law, private residents or businesses contracting with the government must comply with the Data Practices Act “as if it were a government entity.” “
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