A representative government is dependent on an informed electorate
The Wisconsin Freedom of Information CouncilMinutes of Oct. 15, 2009 meeting The meeting was called to order at 1:35 p.m. Present were Bill Lueders, Christa Westerberg, Bob Dreps, Michael Buelow, Gordon Govier, Andy Hall, Tom Koetting, Doug Wojcik, Bob Welch, Dave Zweifel, Bob Dreschel, Roger Schneider, Jim Winter, Peter Fox, Mark Pitsch, Steve Lovejoy and […]
Continue ReadingThe Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council Minutes of Jan. 14, 2010 meeting 1. The meeting was called to order and introductions made at 1:34 p.m. Members present were Anita Weier, Michael Buelow, Diane Martin Liebert, Henry Koshollek, Bob Dreps, Tom Bier, Dave Zweifel, Steve Lovejoy, Christa Westerberg, Bill Lueders, Michelle Vetterkind, Bob Dreschel, Bob Welch, […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin lawmakers are considering a bill to bar public access to recordings of 911 emergency calls. These audio recordings would be replaced with transcripts. As a broadcast news professional, I understand that 911 calls may be painful for families of victims. That’s why a lot of thought already goes into deciding whether and how […]
Continue ReadingAs part of national Sunshine Week (sunshineweek.org), March 14-20, the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council is bestowing its fourth annual Opee Awards to people and institutions that have had an impact on open government in Wisconsin. This was an usually busy year for openness issues. The state Supreme Court ruled that state agencies could not […]
Continue ReadingGuest column for Sunshine week by Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen March 14-20 is Sunshine Week. It is important to recognize this national initiative which focuses attention on the importance of open government and the public’s right to know. Citizen oversight of the workings of government is essential to democratic government and our confidence in […]
Continue ReadingOnce again, Wisconsin’s online circuit court access program (commonly called CCAP) is under attack. CCAP is, by all accounts, a successful program. It provides free online access to most circuit court records, civil or criminal, and is accessed three million to five million times a day. It saves the public and court employees untold amounts […]
Continue ReadingLast fall, area police and a Walworth County’s SWAT team executed a no-knock search at a residence in Delavan. It was a full-scale exercise of police power involving heavy weaponry and equipment. But details of the search were kept secret for a full month. Law enforcement officials, prosecutors and court clerks refused to comment on […]
Continue ReadingIt’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 […]
Continue ReadingThe 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 […]
Continue ReadingThe Wisconsin Freedom of Information CouncilMinutes of July 16, 2009 meeting1) Call to orderThe Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council was called to order on Tuesday, July 16, 2009 at 1:31 p.m. Present were Bill Lueders, Diane Martin, Dee Hall, Michael Buelow, Dave Zweifel, Mary Callen, Anita Weier, Gordon Govier, Christa Westerberg, Michelle Vetterkind, Tom Bier, […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council Minutes of April 21, 2009, meeting The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council was called to order on Tuesday, April 21, 2009, at 1:30 PM. Present were Bill Lueders, Christa Westerberg, Dee Hall, Bob Drechsel, Bob Dreps, Peter Fox, Dave Zwiefel, Roger Schneider, Thomas Koetting, Anita Weier, Hank Koshollek, Ann Frisch, […]
Continue ReadingFor 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 […]
Continue ReadingThe Assembly Criminal Justice Committee today heard testimony on AB-340 (attached), Rep. Marlin Schneider’s latest effort to destroy WCCA, the state’s online circuit court records system. The bill would prohibit WCCA (commonly and incorrectly called CCAP) from displaying information about criminal cases that do not lead to convictions or civil lawsuits that do not lead […]
Continue ReadingRecently, 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 […]
Continue ReadingThis article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel describes a legislative move to exempt judges and district attorneys from those public officials whose economic interest statements would be posted on the Internet, in a bill meant to increase transparency. While the overall bill would still be an improvement, this provision in predicated on the assumption that […]
Continue ReadingOn 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 […]
Continue ReadingIn 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 […]
Continue ReadingA 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 […]
Continue ReadingState Rep. Joe Parisi and Sen. Pat Krietlow are now lining up cosponsors on a state Whistleblower Protection Act, affirming the right of journalists to protect confidential sources. Wisconsin is in a minority of states that do not have statutory shield law protections, although there have been some supportive court rulings. We urge advocates of […]
Continue ReadingPerhaps 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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