A representative government is dependent on an informed electorate
The last six months have been a roller coaster for Wisconsin’s open records law. After the Legislature’s failed attack on the law over the Independence Day holiday, August brought a new threat. A little-known state board expanded the definition of “transitory records,” which can be immediately destroyed. Once this action was revealed, there was an […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council Jan. 14, 2016 meeting Capital Newspapers Auditorium Call to order and introductions. The meeting was called to order at 1:35 p.m. In attendance were Dee Hall, Bill Lueders, April Barker, Christa Westerberg, Bob Dreps, John Foust, Bob Drechsel, Steve Lovejoy, Mike Buelow, Larry Gallup, Tom Bier, Ernie Franzen, Beth […]
Continue ReadingIn 2015, Wisconsin advocates for open government faced a disquieting truth: If we want to preserve our state’s tradition of transparency and accountability, we must fight for it, against powerful players who will be fighting back. The most egregious attack came on the cusp of the July 4 holiday weekend, when the Legislature’s Joint Finance […]
Continue ReadingDear Council members and supporters: Matthew Blessing, the chair of the state Public Records Board, has just released to me the attached statement, in response to the verified complaint filed by the Council early this week. The statement says the Board intends to revisit the agenda items from its Aug. 24 meeting that were the […]
Continue ReadingScott Resnick, a former Madison alderperson, is proud of the work he’s done to advance the cause of open data. In 2012, the city enacted what he says was only the second open data ordinance in the country. Open data is the practice of releasing huge quantities of public information in electronic form so it […]
Continue ReadingTransparency in government is vital to a healthy democracy. Wisconsin has a long tradition of openness with regard to public meetings and records, including what may be the nation’s first state records law, enacted in 1849. What follows is a list of resources for citizens and government officials regarding open government in Wisconsin. The full […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council July 23, 2015 meeting Capital Newspapers Auditorium 1) Call to order. The meeting was called to order at 1:33 p.m. Present were Dee Hall, Steve Lovejoy, John Foust, Bob Dreps, Larry Gallup, Tom Kamenick, Orville Seymer, Scott Bauer, Mark Pitsch, Doug Wojcik, Beth Bennett, April Barker, Bill Lueders, Tom […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council Capital Newspapers Auditorium Minutes of the April 23, 2015 meeting 1) Call to order: The meeting was called to order at 1:35 p.m. Present were Dee Hall, Bob Dreps, Steve Lovejoy, Beth Bennett, April Barker, Orville Seymer, Doug Wojcik, Michael King, Gordon Govier, Mark Pitsch, Bob Drechsel, Tom Bier, Bill […]
Continue ReadingFollow the money. That’s one of the key lessons in politics, right? Follow the money and you’ll find answers. Follow the money and you’ll see who’s influencing whom. Follow the money and you’ll be able to connect special interest donors to the legislators whose votes can benefit them. But it might be about to get […]
Continue ReadingWisconsin Freedom of Information Council Oct. 22, 2015 meeting Capital Newspapers Auditorium 1) Call to order. The meeting was called to order. In attendance were Dee Hall, Bob Dreps, Gina Duwe, Orville Seymer, Michael Buelow, Tom Bier, Andy Hall, Mark Pitsch, Doug Glass, Bob Drechsel, Bill Lueders, April Barker, Christa Westerberg and Steve Lovejoy. Guests […]
Continue ReadingThe Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council is issuing an Action Alert on proposed legislation to end the requirement that donors to political candidates or committees identify their principal employer. The proposal was introduced Oct. 15 by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos as an amendment to AB387, a bill to rewrite state campaign finance laws, and promptly […]
Continue ReadingOn July 9, the members of the Wisconsin state Assembly collectively affirmed their support for open government. They passed a resolution stating that the Assembly “remains committed to our state’s open record and open government laws and policies, and will take all necessary steps to ensure that these laws and policies are preserved without modification […]
Continue ReadingNewspapers are usually reluctant to go to court. But sometimes we must, to protect our ability to report the facts readers need to assess the performance of their elected officials. That was the case in February 2012, when Racine’s Police and Fire Commission was picking a new city police chief. The search had narrowed to […]
Continue ReadingRepublican Attorney General Brad Schimel noted the danger of tinkering with transparency at the summit he convened July 29 on open government. “Messing with open government laws is like touching the third rail,” Schimel said. “I think that lesson has been learned recently.” The folks now running Madison got their hands burned while taking an […]
Continue ReadingOn July 2, the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee unleashed a shocking assault on the state’s long and proud tradition of open government. It happened at night, on the eve of a holiday weekend, just a few hours after the proposal was first unveiled. No one has taken credit for it. Committee co-chair Sen. Alberta Darling, […]
Continue ReadingThe Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council is issuing an emergency action alert in response to the Joint Finance Committee’s shocking assault on the state’s long and proud tradition of open government. This cowardly action, passed by the Committee on July 2 just hours after its introduction, is part of an omnibus motion stuck into the state […]
Continue ReadingA provision snuck into the state budget bill by the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee would deal a significant blow to open government in Wisconsin. The provision, part of an omnibus motion of changes affecting the University of Wisconsin System, would exempt universities from the rule in place for all other state agencies regarding the naming […]
Continue ReadingThe Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council is deeply opposed to a change to Wisconsin’s open records law that was inserted into the budget late last week by the Joint Finance Committee. It passed on a party-line vote of 12-4, with Republicans in the majority. The change, part of Omnibus Motion #521, Item 14, P. 3, would […]
Continue ReadingThe office of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has crafted a new interpretation of the state’s open records law, claiming it can exempt records used in developing a final decision from disclosure. In this case, “new” is not “improved.” Earlier this year, records requesters asked the office for its communications with the Department of Administration, after […]
Continue ReadingIn a recent column, state Attorney General Brad Schimel called for updating the state’s open government laws to meet the challenges of the digital age. He’s exactly right. The laws were enacted long before the Internet — let alone Facebook and Twitter — came into being. They must be updated and strengthened to make sure […]
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