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Wisconsin Watch

Wisconsin Watch

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Tag: Your Right to Know

Posted inOpinion

Your right to know: Government lists are public information

by Tom Kamenick September 5th, 2023September 5th, 2023 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Lists maintained by public agencies are public information. You have a right to access and use these contact lists.

Posted inOpinion

Your right to know: Strike a balance on student privacy

by Elisabeth Lambert August 7th, 2023August 7th, 2023 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

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.

Posted inOpinion

Your Right to Know: Record delays are contrary to the law

by Bill Lueders July 3rd, 2023July 10th, 2023 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

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?”

Posted inOpinion

Your Right to Know: Records case a win for public accountability

Jonathan Anderson by Jonathan Anderson June 2nd, 2023June 2nd, 2023 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

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.

Posted inOpinion

Your Right to Know: Bill to fix records problem deserves support

by Beth Bennett May 5th, 2023May 5th, 2023 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Recently, Wisconsin Watch revealed how members of the Wisconsin Legislature’s powerful budget committee secretly hold up projects or programs they don’t like.

Posted inOpinion

Your Right to Know: End Wisconsin’s secretive ‘pocket veto’ 

Avatar photo by Dee J. Hall / Wisconsin Watch April 4th, 2023April 4th, 2023 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Recently, Wisconsin Watch revealed how members of the Wisconsin Legislature’s powerful budget committee secretly hold up projects or programs they don’t like.

Posted inOpinion

Your Right to Know: Wisconsin taxpayers still paying for election fraud probe records fights

by Bill Lueders February 1st, 2023February 22nd, 2023 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Many people in Wisconsin are under the impression that the disastrous probe into the state’s 2020 presidential election conducted by former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman is over, as are its costs to taxpayers. They’re wrong.

Posted inOpinion

Your Right to Know: Here’s to a more transparent 2023

by Christa Westerberg January 2nd, 2023January 2nd, 2023 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council vice president Christa Westerberg says all levels of government in Wisconsin should be more transparent and open in 2023.

Posted inOpinion

Your Right to Know: Prehn records fight seeks accountability 

by Adam Voskuil / Midwest Environmental Advocates December 2nd, 2022December 2nd, 2022 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

More than a year and a half after the expiration of his term, Dr. Frederick Prehn continues to occupy a seat on the Natural Resources Board, which sets policy for the state Department of Natural Resources.

Tom Kamenick
Posted inOpinion

Your Right to Know: Don’t pay too much for that photocopy!

by Tom Kamenick November 1st, 2022November 1st, 2022 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

If you request paper records and a government custodian tries to charge you 25 cents per page, push back.

Posted inOpinion

Your Right to Know: Wisconsin AG candidates weigh in on transparency

Jonathan Anderson by Jonathan Anderson October 4th, 2022October 4th, 2022 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Josh Kaul and Eric Toney are miles apart on many issues, but when it comes to open government, the candidates vying for Wisconsin attorney general in the Nov. 8 election agree: more money is needed to handle enforcement of the state’s transparency laws.

Posted inOpinion

Your Right to Know: Outsiders can’t block records access

by Christa Westerberg September 1st, 2022September 1st, 2022 Why you can trust Wisconsin Watch

Wisconsin’s open records law is most often used by requesters seeking to obtain records from a government agency. But occasionally it works in reverse, allowing someone to block the release of records to a requester.

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