A representative government is dependent on an informed electorate
Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council July 13, 2017 meeting minutes Capital Newspapers Auditorium 1. Call to order and introductions. In attendance were Dee Hall, Tom Kamenick, Jason Joyce, John Foust, Andy Hall, Jonathan Anderson, Orville Seymer, Ernie Franzen, Kyle Geissler, Tom Bier, Mark Pitsch, Rusty Cunningham, Bob Dreps, Bob Drechsel, Christa Westerberg, Bill Lueders and […]
Continue ReadingNot long ago, I asked Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) for records regarding a controversial bill he helped author on free-speech rights at state universities. I had already obtained some communications between Vos aide Alicia Schweitzer and the Legislative Reference Bureau, from the bill-drafting file. They showed that his office had added bill language […]
Continue ReadingThe Wisconsin Constitution states that “the doors of each house” of the state Legislature “shall be kept open,” except on rare occasions. But even with the doors open, the public may not know what’s going on. A growing trend threatens transparency—and good government—in Wisconsin. Some legislative committees are using “mail ballots” to vote, instead of […]
Continue ReadingIt’s been nearly two years since Republicans in the state Legislature tried to use a secretive, last-minute measure just before the July 4 holiday weekend to gut Wisconsin’s open records law . This effort, once publicized , was met with public outrage and abandoned . This was the most egregious but by no means only […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council April 20, 2017 minutes Capital Newspapers Auditorium 1. Call to order: The meeting was called to order at 2:02 p.m. In attendance were Dee Hall, Neil Johnson, John Foust, Larry Gallup, Jonathan Anderson, Orville Seymer, Sean Dwyer, Kyle Geissler, Mark Pitsch, Doug Wojcik, Andy Hall, Bob Drechsel, Tom Bier, […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council April 7, 2016 meeting Capital Newspapers Auditorium 1) Call to order and introductions. In attendance were Bill Lueders, Bob Dreps, Tom Kamenick, Orville Seymer, Julia Hunter, Dave Zweifel, John Foust, Bob Drechsel, Mike Buelow, Mark Pitsch, Larry Gallup, Tom Bier, Dave Haynes, April Barker, Andy Hall, Doug Glass, Paul Ferguson […]
Continue ReadingIn March, for the second year in a row, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker issued an executive order regarding the state’s open records law. It notes that “the American republic and the State of Wisconsin were founded on the basis of broad accountability of government to the people.” And it declares that “the free flow of […]
Continue ReadingTime and again, transparency advocates have seen that protecting Wisconsin’s traditions of open government depends on the courage and initiative of individuals. This year’s winners of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council ’s Openness Awards, or Opees, include two citizens, two journalists, one fired government worker and one small but gutsy Wisconsin newspaper. The council […]
Continue ReadingFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bill Lueders (608) 669-4712 March 8, 2017 Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council names “Opee” winners Two citizens, two journalists, one fired government worker and one small but gutsy Wisconsin newspaper are among the recipients of the 2016-17 Openness Awards, or Opees, bestowed annually by the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council . […]
Continue ReadingThe Milwaukee Press Club will host the Open Government Traveling Show – a panel discussion about the Wisconsin open meetings and open records laws – at a Newsmaker Luncheon on Wednesday, March 15, 2017 as part of the national celebration of open government known as Sunshine Week. The public is invited to attend the event from […]
Continue ReadingFor more than two centuries, governments in this country have paid newspapers to publish public notices about the actions of government. But now, Wisconsin state legislators are circulating a pair of bills, AB70 and SB42, that aim to take public notices out of newspapers and put them instead on government websites. It’s a bad idea that […]
Continue ReadingTwo days before the new president’s inauguration, the Society of Professional Journalists and dozens of other media and government transparency groups sent a letter asking Donald Trump for a meeting to discuss his administration’s relationship with the press. Among other things, the groups wanted Trump to affirm his commitment to the First Amendment, assure media […]
Continue ReadingThe Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council seeks to safeguard access to information that citizens must have to act responsibly in a free and democratic society. We cherish Wisconsin’s Open Records and Open Meetings Laws, which declare that because “a representative government is dependent on an informed electorate,” all persons are entitled to the most information […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council Jan. 19, 2017 Capital Newspapers Auditorium Call to order. The meeting was called to order at 2:07 p.m. In attendance were Dee J. Hall, Tom Kamenick, Neil Johnson, Larry Gallup, Jonathan Anderson, Orville Seymer, Beth Bennett, Andy Hall, Mark Pitsch, Kyle Geissler, Sean Dwyer, Bob Drechsel, Tom Bier, Rusty Cunningham, […]
Continue ReadingOn Sunday, August 14, after a night of unrest prompted by the fatal police shooting of a black man, Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said his review of body camera video of the incident proved the officer had acted appropriately. “The individual did turn toward the officer with a firearm in his hand,” Flynn stated, […]
Continue ReadingOne of the most important court decisions in Wisconsin political history was argued largely in secret. The arguments were made in briefs that were heavily redacted or entirely shielded from public view. The evidence was hidden. Most of the litigants were anonymous. The level of secrecy “is something I haven’t ever heard of happening in […]
Continue ReadingSince the beginning of 2015, police in Wisconsin have killed 30 people, according to one media database. In Madison, Neenah, Eau Claire, Wausau, East Troy, Wauwatosa and Milwaukee, officers have used their power to its ultimate extent. These officer-involved killings test the relationships between police officers and the public they are sworn to protect and […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council Minutes of the Oct. 12, 2016 meeting Capital Newspapers auditorium Call to order and introductions. The meeting was called to order at 2:05 p.m. In attendance were Bill Lueders, Dee Hall, Steve Lovejoy, Orville Seymer, Larry Gallup, Mark Pitsch, Jonathan Anderson, Kyle Geissler, Tom Bier, Andy Hall, Bob Drechsel, Bob […]
Continue ReadingState Attorney General Brad Schimel has been a stand-up guy when it comes to open government issues in Wisconsin since he took over the Department of Justice in 2015. He created an office of open government , held a summit on government transparency, worked to improve records request response times within his own office, and […]
Continue ReadingOver the July 4 weekend in 2015, members of the state Legislature sparked a public uproar by proposing last-minute changes to the state budget bill that would have created a “deliberative process” exception to Wisconsin’s long-cherished public records law. Government transparency advocates condemned the move, and the changes were hastily rescinded. But the effort to […]
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