Plan to curtail public records laws sparks uproar in Wisconsin

[IDemo]

Source: USA Today

APPLETON, Wis. — A vote by Wisconsin's budget committee to dismantle the state's open records laws has caused an uproar across the Badger State.

Under these measures, lawmakers would be able to draft bills in secret and hide their communications from the public. The changes would also apply to local government officials, including school board members.

No other state in the country would have similar statutes, according to the Legislative Reference Bureau, a nonpartisan agency that helps legislators draft laws.

The Joint Finance Committee passed it 12-4 on a party line vote. Republicans refused to say who initiated the measures and the reasoning for it.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/07/03/uproar-proposal-curtail-public-records-laws-wisconsin/29674939/

[Archae]

1. The reasoning is obvious...

These bastards want to hide their corruption. Period.

[olegramps]

21. When will Americans realize that the Republican Party has been infiltrated by fascists.

[Blue_Tires]

23. And Walker's also running for president

so he knows he'll be under that much more scrutiny...

[Romeo.lima333]

2. Republicans refused to say who initiated the measures and the reasoning for it.

if the dems had done this to them

[blackspade]

3. Of course they refused.

Because they are anti-democratic scum.

[elleng]

4. When will Wisconsonite's uproars show some effect?

Very troubling, what's happened there in 'recent' years

[Myrina]

5. ALEC at work again. Same thing happening in IN.

Walker's Koch-brother Mike Pence.

[Johnyawl]

6. Bill Clinton said it best...

..."The core value of the Republican Party is that wealth and power belong in the hands of the few"

Just another step in concentrating power in the hands of the few.

[jalan48]

7. WTF? Sounds like they want our legislatures to act like the TPP.

Deliberations behind closed doors, the public just gets to see the result.

[mopinko]

8. koch bros at work.

koch bros are heavily invested in wis w mining and timber.
they are corrupting government there from the bottom to the top.
hopefully someone will sue to stop this.

[Archae]

9. Even the conservative McIver Institute oppose this.

[Ed Suspicious]

10. FOIA is superseded by state law?

[IDemo]

11. FOIA only applies to federal agencies n/t

[Ed Suspicious]

16. Thanks.

[Scalded Nun]

12. Again, People!

This is what you get when you do not bother to vote!

This bullshit, the evil they are inflicting on SNAP recipients, and to top it off (although I am sure they are not finished), they are removing oversight laws.

[MisterP]

27. this is what happens when we have two parties open to corpo money, they just both roll right

(plus there's very few DUers who boycott elections and that's not what drives low turnout)

[Thespian2]

13. Did anyone here doubt that Snotty Wanker

is a serious criminal who does the bidding of the Koch-sucker industries?

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

14. I'm sure that's what the founding fathers had in mind when

they started this imperfect union.

[awoke_in_2003]

15. "No other state in the country would have similar statutes"

not for long- many will follow. Jeebus bless 'Murka

[red dog 1]

17. 1) How did the GOP gain control of both houses of the Wisconsin legislature?

2) Why do Republicans hold all statewide offices in Wisconsin?

3) How did Scott Walker survive the recall election?


The answer to all three questions is very simple.

ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINE FRAUD!

"Recall Election Fraud in Wisconsin? You Betcha!"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/125144291

"Meet Command Central, the People in Charge of Wisconsin Voting machines"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002773448

[OffWithTheirHeads]

18. Wisconson, the Hunger Game party is about to rob you blind!

[SoapBox]

19. WI Dems, Progressives, Liberals

and Independants...

When exactly will you have enough of this shit?

The rest of America awaits your decision.

[Ed Suspicious]

28. 100,000+ of us marching on Madison wasnt enough

to win the elections, but frankly, i'm surprised it's not enough to convince you that we're not all just going along to get along with the pukes.

[davidpdx]

20. The timing is perfect for those who want to protect Scott Walker's image

Not that you can do much to protect someone who looks like their face got shit on.

[restorefreedom]

22. did someone spike the cheese up there?

what the hell??

seriously though this sounds bad. but it would never hold up to judicial scrutiny.

it is the last gasps of the oligarchy clinging to life.

[Sunlei]

24. once one state has public records kept secret, we can assume all states will soon copy.

Then the Federal gov can slip in the same bill rider, all records are secret.


Even the old days when the Bush gov made some people wait 6 years!! for a public record request will look better.

[lark]

25. Duh, the reasoning is totally clear.

They want to be able to complete their treachery without watching eyes. What is not seen can easily hurt us quicker.

[Sunlei]

26. are 'we the people' going to have to hire China to hack the records for us?

State and Federal officials are supposed to be working FOR US, the people.

[Liberal_in_LA]

29. wow. corruption will reign

[IDemo]

30. UPDATE - Scott Walker And Wisconsin GOP Retreat On Open Records Limits

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — In a sudden reversal amid a stinging backlash, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and GOP legislative leaders said they agreed Saturday to completely remove a part of the proposed state budget that would severely roll back open records laws.

Walker announced the decision in a joint statement Saturday with Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, and the co-chairs of the joint budget committee. They said that they're committed to open and accountable government.

"After substantive discussion over the last day, we have agreed that the provisions relating to any changes in the state's open records law will be removed from the budget in its entirety," the statement said. "... The intended policy goal of these changes was to provide a reasonable solution to protect constituents' privacy and to encourage a deliberative process between elected officials and their staff in developing policy. It was never intended to inhibit transparent government in any way*."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/04/scott-walker-open-records-retreat_n_7727528.html

*

[CANDO]

31. Trial balloon

They got their feedback.