Wisconsin panel sidesteps open meetings law on youth prison tour to exclude public

Source: Milwaukee-Journal Sentinal





Patrick Marley , Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Published 12:19 p.m. CT March 10, 2017 | Updated 49 minutes ago


MADISON – A legislative committee plans to visit Wisconsin’s trouble-filled juvenile prison, but is sidestepping the state's open meetings law in a way to ensure members of the public can’t tag along.

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But the Assembly Corrections Committee also plans to keep the public from seeing firsthand how it operates. Rep. Michael Schraa (R-Oshkosh), the chairman of the committee, said he wants to gather information without creating a political spectacle and had checked with nonpartisan attorneys for the Legislature to make sure his plans were in keeping with the state’s open meetings law.

But advocates for open government criticized the committee’s approach, particularly as the tour comes at the beginning of Sunshine Week, which focuses on the importance of government transparency and the public’s right to know.

“They’re playing with fire here,” said Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council. “They’re trying to avoid openness pretty much for its own sake. They’re trying to avoid being seen doing their job in public. Why? What’s the advantage to anyone to do this?”

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The Freedom of Information Council’s Lueders isn’t convinced.

“They seem to recognize it would be a problem if all the members of the committee went. I don’t think they solve that problem by splitting it into two batches,” he said.............................

Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2017/03/10/wisconsin-panel-sidesteps-open-meetings-law-youth-prison-tour-exclude-public/99007306/

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The committee basically broke the Full committee into two groups (each going at a different time) in order to avoid the open meeting laws. I think this article is of national importance given how the State Dept is going a grand Asia tour--including China without a press core. A fish rots from the top down!!






“I don’t want a circus up there," he said. "I just don’t want it to be a spectacle to be going up there to make a political point.”


Rep. Michael Schraa (R-Oshkosh) will be leading the Assembly Corrections Committee on a tour of Lincoln Hills School for Boys. (Photo: AP)