Wisconsin: Walker Budget Limits Access to Ethics Statements

http://www.jsonline.com/newswatch/123404668.html


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Madison - Ethics data from 2,500 state and local officials would get harder for citizens to obtain, under a budget amendment that has drawn concerns from both a free-market conservative and the American Civil Liberties Union.

The change approved on a 12-4 party-line vote by GOP legislators on the Joint Finance Committee would end the practice of emailing citizens copies of financial disclosure forms made by public officials. The amendment might also take down an online index of the information on those forms, which are meant to help the public identify possible conflict of interest.

Brett Healy, president of the MacIver Institute, a free-market think-tank in Madison which has posted some of the forms to its website, said he was still examining the effect of the provision but was concerned about it. The amendment will still need to be approved by the Assembly and Senate and Gov. Scott Walker as part of the 2011-'13 budget bill.

"If in fact the provision does dial back transparency, it's very disappointing and not needed. We need more transparency not less," Healy said.

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can be used against them in the future?

I'll bet this amendment will save money for at least 1/6 of a month's pay for an intern working in the department of administration.