The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) released a report Tuesday titled “Shining a Light: Enhancing Transparency and Accountability in Wisconsin’s Public Records Process,” proposing reforms to improve government transparency and public access to records.
WILL Policy Director Kyle Koenen said, “Too often, citizens have to hire a lawyer just to hear back from their own government and that’s wrong. We believe holding government accountable starts with access to transparent information and records. These proposed reforms will bring greater access to open records and make it easier for members of the public to learn about what their government is doing on any given day.”
The report, released during Sunshine Week, outlines several policy recommendations for the Wisconsin Legislature.
Among them:
- Establishing a 14-day deadline for agencies to respond to public records requests, with a maximum fulfillment period of 60 days
- Eliminating or raising the $50 minimum threshold for record location fees, unchanged since 1981
- Reversing a Wisconsin Supreme Court decision that limited requesters’ ability to recover attorney fees when records are withheld
Other suggestions include requiring government entities to maintain a public log of pending records requests and report processing times, as well as designating public records officers with contact information displayed prominently online.
The report also calls for the Wisconsin Department of Justice to maintain a statewide directory of records custodians.
The release coincides with legislative efforts to address some of these issues. On Monday, Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, and Rep. Todd Novak, R-Dodgeville, introduced LRB-2241, a bill to overturn the Supreme Court’s Friends of Frame Park ruling, which WILL’s report criticizes for making it harder for requesters to recover legal costs. A coalition of transparency advocates, including WILL, supports the measure. A similar bill passed the State Senate unanimously last session but stalled in the Assembly.
Sunshine Week, March 16-22, marks the birthday of President James Madison, a key figure in promoting open government. WILL’s report emphasizes public records as vital tools for accountability, aligning with the week’s focus on transparency.
