Too often, police agencies in Wisconsin are responding to requests for public information with blanket “open investigation” responses that are not adequately explained or clearly necessary.
Category: Opinion
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Your Right to Know: Opees honor efforts to promote transparency
For the 18th straight year, the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council is recognizing outstanding efforts to protect the state’s tradition of open government through its Openness in Government awards, or Opees.
Your Right to Know: Don’t charge records requesters for redactions
Senate Bill 789, which the Wisconsin Senate recently passed, barely more than a month after it was introduced, would allow law enforcement and corrections agencies to add another fee, for the cost of redacting audio and video.
Your Right to Know: Limit privacy protections for police
Law enforcement officers in Winnebago County shot three people in 2023, one fatally. And while we know the names of the people shot, the identities of those who pulled the trigger remain secret.
We’re not living a ‘predicted’ life: Student perspectives on Wisconsin’s dropout algorithm
Wisconsin took down its dropout predictions after a Markup investigation. Here’s what two students who were featured have to say.
Your Right to Know: Protect the rights of student journalists
A unanimous Assembly vote on proposed legislation to offer protections to student journalists shows that the ideals it seeks to protect have deep bipartisan support.
Your Right to Know: Reopening court discussions was a good idea
In August the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s newly constituted majority decided to again make administrative conferences open to the public. This was a welcome change.
Your Right to Know: Protect the press against bogus lawsuits
Local news outlets serve an invaluable function and deserve protection against those who seek to shut them up.
Your right to know: Government lists are public information
Lists maintained by public agencies are public information. You have a right to access and use these contact lists.
Your right to know: Strike a balance on student privacy
On the one hand, the public has a right to know how public schools act, meaning that schools have a duty to be transparent. On the other hand, students have special rights to privacy enshrined in both state and federal law.
Your Right to Know: Record delays are contrary to the law
It’s a problem that has grown markedly worse in recent years, as agencies have gotten bolder in exploiting the lack of specificity in the state’s open records law regarding the question of “How long is too long?”
Your Right to Know: Records case a win for public accountability
When Madison Metropolitan School District communications director Tim LeMonds sued his employer in March to block release of a complaint against him, he claimed there would be grave repercussions if the public were allowed to see the allegations it contained.