Wisconsin open meetings law may have been violated by legislature in “budget repair” bill push

Wisconsin’s controversial “budget repair” law was set to go into effect later this week. However, a Dane County judge issued a temporary restraining order to delay the law from being published to see if open meetings laws may have been violated.

Under the law, legislators are required to give the public 24 hour notice of committee meetings, or 2 hours notice in advance of emergency meetings. Legislators are also required to have the doors to the state capitol open, and permit public access to the meeting. Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne contested that neither of those notices were met, nor was the meeting publicly accessible, and thus the legislature was in violation of the open meetings law. Late last week, Dane County judge Maryann Sumi issued the temporary restraining order, and was set to have hearings on the matter later next week.

On Tuesday, Wisconsin attorney general JB Van Hollen appealed the restraining order, asking for the law to be published, as scheduled, on March 25. The Wisconsin Court of Appeals panel asked for further information from both sides for review. Van Hollen says that the judiciary cannot block a law that has not yet been published; he also cites a law that says legislators cannot be the subject of legal action during legislative session. Ozanne, however, says that the legislature is not exempt from injunctions with regard to the open meetings law.

Read more:
Wisconsin State Journal: Dane County DA fires back at attorney general over budget bill

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Attorney General appeals restraining order on labor law

New York Times: Judge’s order blocks law on unions in Wisconsin

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Dane County judge halts collective bargaining law

Photo via bluerobot on Flickr.