Republicans vote to dramatically scale back oversight of lawmakers, other public officials

[riversedge]

Source: Wisconsin State Jounal




Republicans vote to dramatically scale back oversight of lawmakers, other public officials

23 minutes ago • By Molly Beck | Wisconsin State Journal, Mark Sommerhauser
(97) Comments



Legislative Republicans on Thursday passed sweeping changes to the state’s open records law that would dramatically curtail the kind of information available to the public about the work that public officials do.

The proposal blocks the public from reviewing nearly all records created by lawmakers, state and local officials or their aides, including electronic communications and the drafting files of legislation. The language was included in the final version of the state’s 2015-17 budget, which passed the Legislature’s budget committee on a party-line vote late Thursday. The budget bill next goes to the full Assembly and Senate.

“This is the single most sweeping and outrageous affront to Wisconsin’s tradition of open government that I have seen in my quarter-century of involvement with the (Wisconsin) Freedom of Information Council,” council president Bill Lueders said.

One provision creating a broad “legislator disclosure privilege” has no counterpart in any other state, a spokesperson for the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau testified.

Read more:


Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/republicans-vote-to-dramatically-scale-back-oversight-of-lawmakers-other/article_8901f2df-1ec2-5e74-b6ea-4a1f006aacf5.html#ixzz3epqpS19T

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Remember--these teabaggers are Scott Walker's ALEC Republicans.



How members of the Joint Finance Committee voted on the omnibus motion, including sweeping changes to the open records law.

Voting yes: Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette; Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills; Rep. Dale Kooyenga, R-Brookfield; Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls; Sen. Leah Vukmir, R-Wauwautosa; Sen. Thomas Tiffany, R-Hazelhurst; Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green; Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton; Rep. Dean Knudson, R-Hudson; Rep. Michael Schraa, R-Oshkosh; Rep. Mary Czaja, R-Irma; Sen. Luther Olsen, R-Ripon.

Voting no: Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton; Rep. Chris Taylor, D-Madison; Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee; Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh.

[riversedge]

1. Our Action Alert re: the JFC's shocking assault on Wisconsin's long and proud tradition of open gov

Bill Lueders ?@billlueders 50s51 seconds ago

Bill Lueders retweeted Wisconsin FOIC

We need to oppose this attack on WI's tradition of open and honest government. #openrecords #wibudget

Bill Lueders added,
Wisconsin FOIC @WisFOIC
Our Action Alert re: the JFC's shocking assault on Wisconsin's long and proud tradition of open government. http://wisfoic.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=354:action-alert-on-legislatures-attack-on-open-records-law&catid=51:action-alerts&Itemid=88 …

[riversedge]

2. @SenTaylor-My statement on the Republicans efforts to change the state's open records law

Sen. Lena C. Taylor ?@SenTaylor

My statement on the Republicans efforts to change the state's open records laws: pic.twitter.com/7I7HCrbspx


:large

[GeorgeGist]

8. +1

[Fred Sanders]

3. So transparency in government is no longer a thing for Republicans??

In truth it never was for fascist...it was just another lie.

Accuse others of what you do.

Not that the national media will tell you about this, they have orders to try to scare the shit out of you with scary brown people coming from 5000 miles away to behead you all!

Why did the media use a completely false alarm at a naval yard to fearmonger? It was actually nothing, but I guess it was just too good to use to fearmonger as to what might be..so be scared anyway!

[jalan48]

7. People are easier to control when they are kept in a state of fear.

[24601]

25. Not really Hillary's thing either is it? So without a candidate who really stands for transparency,

someone like Bernie for example, attacking anyone else on the subject will be meaningless.

Anybody want to stand up for Hillary for setting the benchmark on openness & transparency?

If we don't nominate Bernie, we are screwed, screwed and screwed.

[Fred Sanders]

28. Nice try to make this about Clinton...The GOP-like 'logic' is ...interesting. Transparency in government requires a balance

between openness and security.

Let us all hear the details from all candidates and decide...not push invisible faux panic buttons.

[loudsue]

4. Someone needs to SERIOUSLY look into Wisconsin's voting machines.

Just saying'. Nobody in their right mind is voting for these assholes.

[pennylane100]

23. I remember how Karl Rove reacted when Ohio went for Obama

during the last election. He was so certain that the results were wrong. It was as if he knew the machines were going to deliver a win for Romney. I also heard rumors that Anonymous was involved in stopping that from happening. It was very strange.

[loudsue]

24. If the republicans can cheat, they will. They can't win legitimately, and they know it.

There are a lot of elections in North Carolina that are blatantly tampered with, and nobody in the entire USA is doing anything about it.... except Anonymous. and I loves me some Anonymous.

[vlyons]

5. Republicans cannot be embarrassed.

They have no shame. They are sociopaths. Money and power are ALWAYS a higher priority than people. Their highest motivation is the acquisition of wealth - BY ANY MEANS! They are completely corrupted by money. They are immoral. They simply cannot be embarrassed.

[sulphurdunn]

6. This is an interesting development.

The Guarantee Clause of the Constitution ensures a republican form of government in each state. Does that mean people electing gerrymandered legislatures that are unaccountable except during election years constitute a republican form of government?

[jmowreader]

33. You read it differently than they do

To you and I, "a republican form of government" means representative democracy - elected officials representing a group of individuals.

To them, "a republican form of government" means a government controlled exclusively by the GOP.

[sulphurdunn]

34. I think you're right.

[AllyCat]

9. I am ashamed of my state government.

How can this be legal/constitutional?

[Fred Sanders]

10. It will be because the fascist government has also gerrymandered state courts.

[greymattermom]

11. So, just ask them why they're so interested in Hillary's emails

That might be interesting.

[Half-Century Man]

12. So, THE GREAT AND POWERFUL OZ is making it illegal to peek behind the curtain?

An ALEC ghillie suit perfect for when you want complete concealment.

FYI
Sen. Vukmir is the National First Vice Chairman for ALEC.
Rep. Nygren is the State Chairman of ALEC.
Gov. (impersonator) Scott Walker is an ALEC alumni.

[riversedge]

14. Wi Rugs have embarrassed themselves. I think

this will take them over the cliff --of course I have said that about a lot of things they have done. But we are gerrymandered in WI. damm

[Half-Century Man]

18. This is a huge chunk of opportunity just flopped out in front of us.

If we use "strange bedfellows" as allies for this election cycle we can do a lot of damage to the current assminastration. Lots of other people will hate this, tea partiers, conservative journalists & bloggers, conservationists, conspiracy junkies, etc.

Join the party, bring every other progressive you can find with you, vote past the third way drones.
Make sure we field a candidate for every possible office.
Phone bank, canvas neighborhoods, register voters, bury editorial departments in every venue you can find with letters, call radio shows and stand progressively.
Never drop the message "What are they hiding and Why do they have to hide it"? Over and over and over again.

RWNJs will primary the establishment repubs.
The oligarchs will be forced to dump money to keep their tools in place, bleed them dry.

[Archae]

13. They might as well hang a banner in Madison at the state House...

"We're Corrupt"

[a2liberal]

15. Gee, what a surprise!

[RBInMaine]

16. The people of Wisconsin VOTED for this. Let them LIVE with it.

They VOTED for this SLIME. And when you vote for SLIME, you get SLIME. As Pete Seeger said, "When will they ever learn?"

[Scuba]

30. Some of us did. Many did not. In fact, it's very plausible that most did not...

[midnight]

32. A whole lot of ballot stuffing...

[Beauregard]

17. Yawn.

This is a proposal from the budget committee in the legislature in Wisconsin. It has yet to go to the legislature.

Wake me up when something important happens.

[tabasco]

31. There's an old adage about a barn and a horse and a door

you need to think about.

[SoapBox]

19. Crooks, creeps, thieves, liars, cheaters...

Pukes and Baggers, one and all.

[riversedge]

20. Whow!! Wisconsin AG--a Republican: Diminishing public records takes state 'in wrong direction': http

Tweet:
Whow!! Wisconsin AG--a Republican: Diminishing public records takes state 'in wrong direction': http://bit.ly/1HBmC0u #wipolitics #p2



Wisconsin Attorney General: GOP move to block public records access a step in 'wrong direction'
Print Email
31 minutes ago • By Jessie Opoien | The Capital Times


Attorney General Brad Schimel




Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel on Friday voiced his opposition to sweeping changes to the state's open records laws passed by Republicans on the Legislature's budget committee late Thursday night.

"Transparency is the cornerstone of democracy and the provisions in the Budget Bill limiting access to public records move Wisconsin in the wrong direction," Schimel said in an email.

Last month, Schimel, a Republican, launched an Office of Open Government in an effort to increase openness and transparency with regard to government records.

During the Joint Finance Committee's debate on the proposal, Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, asked committee co-chairman Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, whether Schimel had seen or signed off on the committee's changes.

"I can't speak to that," Nygren responded....

Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/wisconsin-attorney-general-gop-move-to-block-public-records-access/article_3e796260-2196-11e5-8f2c-f751f5f560d1.html#ixzz3eqW9riEE

[old guy]

21. This type of activity will continue for a long, long time in this state.

There is absolutely nothing to stop the Koch/ALEC juggernaut. We can rail against them and show our outrage but we cannot stop them. We can ridicule them, we can point out the failure of their policies with fact after fact, but we cannot stop them. We see them eliminate local control and eliminate transparency and we voice our displeasure, but we cannot stop them. Ignorance is considered a virtue and at this point the majority of voters feel like winners because their candidates won. Yipee, that means I'm special and I'm right despite facts on the ground. I keep talking out but now I realize that no one is listening. They are satisfied and see me as being out of step. The voters put these people in office and I see no indication that they will rise up and vote them out any time soon.

[gregcrawford]

22. I seem to recall reading...

... that Hitler instituted something similar before he was made Chancellor. I'll do some homework and get back to y'all on that, but it would not surprise me to learn that Walker idolizes that fucker.

[24601]

26. Questioning only how he would have the power to do it before taking power as Chancellor. It would

seem more likely that it was after taking office.

[gregcrawford]

29. It could be...

... Even before becoming Chancellor, he had coerced a great deal of support. I'll dig into it as soon as I have time. This is going to be a busy weekend.

[Still In Wisconsin]

27. Thankfully this has resulted in massive blowback.

Several Republicans besides the Attorney General have come out in strong opposition to this. As of this afternoon they (Walker's people) were already walking this back, as they did when their Wisconsin Idea assault came to light... appropriately enough, because of an open records request!