MADISON, Wis. (Wheeler News Service) — The Wisconsin Assembly voted 96-to-1 today to re-affirm its commitment to open government and open public records. That’s after the Joint Finance Committee added a massive closure of state-and-local government records to the new state budget — plus legal protections for lawmakers, and the deletion of certain online court records.
After getting lots of heat, legislative leaders promised to scrap the measure — and both houses did so this week. There was still talk that lawmakers would revisit the idea later this year, with a special committee. Today, minority Democrats introduced a resolution to have the Assembly’s Organization Committee consider a measure to preserve the Open Records Law unchanged.
G-O-P Speaker Robin Vos said the extra step was not necessary — and the lower house simply promised to uphold transparent government. Waukesha Republican Scott Allen was the only one to vote no.
