(illustration by DonkeyHotey)
From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
Faced with a swift and fierce backlash, Republicans Saturday abandoned a plan that would have gutted the state's open records law.
In a joint statement issued Saturday afternoon, Gov. Scott Walker and GOP legislative leaders said the provisions relating to any changes to the law would be removed from the state budget.
"After substantive discussion over the last day, we have agreed that the provisions relating to any changes in the state's open records law will be removed from the budget in its entirety. We are steadfastly committed to open and accountable government," the statement read. "The intended policy goal of these changes was to provide a reasonable solution to protect constituents' privacy and to encourage a deliberative process between elected officials and their staff in developing policy. It was never intended to inhibit transparent government in any way."
The announcement came from Walker, but it was also attributed to Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau), Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester), Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) and Rep. John Nygren (R-Marinette). Darling and Nygren are co-chairs of the Joint Finance Committee.
http://www.jsonline.com/...
This major reversal comes less than 48 hours after GOP legislators snuck the provision into the State Budget. Our own Giles Goat Boy sounded the alarm yesterday morning:
Last night (Thursday) shortly after 9 pm on the eve of what for many will be a three day weekend in observance of Independence Day, Republicans on Wisconsin's Joint Finance Committee forced through a provision in the pending budget that would exempt them from compliance with state open records law.
More from the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council:
July 3, 2015
Action Alert on Legislature’s Attack on Open Records Law
The 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 budget. The committee chairs have refused to say which lawmakers asked for these changes, which will effectively free the state Legislature from the state’s Open Records Law.
The changes would exempt legislative communications from the law; shield from release all “deliberative materials” created for the purpose of making law or public policy (including opinions, analyses and briefings prepared at public expense); shut down public access to all records created in the process of drafting legislation; and specify that the Legislature can freely exempt any record from disclosure simply by passing a rule or policy...
http://www.dailykos.com/...
And now, only two days later, Walker and his Goposaur pals are like, "okay, okay, you caught us! We won't do it - okay?" I'd say the swift about-face was thanks in part to Giles Goat Boy's amazing action diary. Thanks, GGB and everybody who called and/or emailed their representatives in Wisconsin government!
Cross-posted at Byline.com