Amendment would hold state Legislature to open meetings law

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Amendment would hold state Legislature to open meetings law
Madison - The Legislature would be subject to the state's open meetings law under a proposed amendment to the state constitution unveiled by Assembly Democrats on Thursday.

Amendment would hold state Legislature to open meetings law

By Emma Roller of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Madison - The Legislature would be subject to the state's open meetings law under a proposed amendment to the state constitution unveiled by Assembly Democrats on Thursday.

The legislation comes in response to a state Supreme Court decision in June that ruled lawmakers weren't bound by the open meetings law. The amendment would require reasonable public notice and public access to meetings of the Legislature.

Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) filed a complaint that led to a lawsuit claiming Republicans illegally passed a controversial bill March 9 that sharply limited collective bargaining for most public employees. The state Supreme Court heard the case and disagreed.

"Because of what the Legislature did, and because of what the Supreme Court did, Wisconsin's reputation for clean and open government is at risk," Barca said.

Rep. Jon Richards (D-Milwaukee) said the amendment would codify what many people thought already was the law.

"The Legislature is not a special class of citizens. State lawmakers should not be allowed to place themselves above the law and exploit loopholes to subvert the open meetings law," Richards said.

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