Wisconsin lawmakers continue to flaunt public records laws

In our democracy, our public officials are there to serve us. And the law says we have the right to keep tabs on how they are doing that. In Wisconsin, public records laws are very clear, stating that government records are widely available to the public. Especially when it involves spending our money. State lawmakers are spending millions of our dollars in legal fees, trying to defend a lawsuit filed over possibly illegal political boundaries. They have spent more than $2 million on this legal fight already. And now Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has hired a high-profile legal firm out of Chicago to continue the legal fight over the boundaries. But Vos won’t make public this legal contract, reportedly worth $850,000. Our tax dollars. But Vos doesn’t think you and I should be able to see what they are getting for our money. Of course, that probably shouldn’t be a surprise. Two years ago Vos led an effort to shield state lawmakers from having to comply with open records laws, allowing them to legally withhold documents. That effort failed amid public backlash. But here they are again, acting illegally and in bad faith.  What is increasingly clear is that those we elect to represent us are willing to take great steps to ensure they only have to represent themselves.