Wisconsin legislators should have to retain records too

When it comes to hiding government business from the people of Wisconsin, some lawmakers can’t get enough. That comment from Wisconsin Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca is unfortunately true. We have seen plenty of evidence of that. It was one year ago that members of the Joint Finance Committee tried to ram through last-minute legislation which would have exempted lawmakers from having to comply with the state’s open records laws. They wanted to conceal their conversations with constituents, and fellow lawmakers, even records of who visited their office. That was wisely abandoned after much public backlash. But their intent was clear. Shielding themselves from the same laws with which other members of government throughout the state must comply. Our lawmakers should be pushing for more openness, not less. One good place to start would be to make sure members of the Wisconsin Legislature are held to the same standards as other government officials. The legislature has exempted itself from the same rules for retaining records which apply to other public officials. They are free to amend or even destroy records that show what they are doing to earn their taxpayer-funded salary. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald reportedly deletes his emails on a daily basis. This legislative loophole needs to go. The people of Wisconsin should be served by a legislature which is required to preserve its records just like they insist for other levels of government.