WI GOP inserts plan in budget to slash access to public records

[HereSince1628]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/state-panel-hopes-to-finish-budget-deliberations-thursday-b99531113z1-311454801.html

Madison— In one of their final votes on the state budget Thursday, GOP lawmakers approved sweeping limits on public access to records that would shed light on future actions of legislators, Gov. Scott Walker's administration, state agencies and local governments.

The proposals were tucked into an expansive measure that passed the Joint Finance Committee 12-4, with all Republicans in favor and all Democrats against. Hours later, with another party-line vote, the committee early Friday sent the overall budget to the Senate and Assembly.

The GOP plan would limit public records requests for lawmakers' communications with their staff and for drafting records of legislation after it's been introduced. It would also exempt a host of records created by the Walker administration, state agencies and local governments and put new limits on public access to information about dismissed criminal charges in some instances.

The measure would also give lawmakers a broad legal privilege that would allow them to refrain from releasing records when they are sued and bar their current and former staff from disclosing information legislators wanted kept private.

<snip>

[HereSince1628]

1. iow, WI GOP reversing concept of open records to protect from future lawsuits

and criminal investigations.

[Scuba]

2. In all fairness, Wisconsin Republicans have got a lot of wrongdoing to hide.

[Art_from_Ark]

3. LOL

[HereSince1628]

4. Yes, and Walker did pledge to holdback announcing until 'the budget' passed