Time to close lawmaker loophole in public records law

To most of us it seems obvious. The state’s public records laws should also extend to those who wrote the laws. But that is not the case in Wisconsin. The state has very clear and well enforced public records laws, that provide you and I access to any notes, documents, emails, calendars or other records of how our governments conduct their business. The rules say such records must be kept, and be provided to the public when requested. For any reason, by any person. The law covers government employees in cities, school districts, counties, villages, even the Governor’s office. But currently in Wisconsin, members of the state legislature, the very body which wrote the comprehensive law, chose to exempt themselves from it. That means our state representatives and senators can legally destroy the documents that show how they spent their day or why they voted how they did. This loophole needs to be closed. Milwaukee Senator Chris Larson is introducing legislation to do just that. He launched a similar effort years ago, and the bill failed to even get a hearing, much less a vote. It was buried by lawmakers who want to keep us in the dark. That is not how our government is supposed to work. Wisconsin’s public records laws should be strengthened so it applies to all levels of government, including the state legislature.