Open Meetings Law
The Open Meetings Law, originally created in 1959 and revised substantially in 1976, governs meetings of governmental bodies in Wisconsin. The law generally requires that meetings of governmental bodies be conducted in open session, with specified exceptions, and be preceded by public notice. The law is set forth in ss. 19.81 to 19.98, Stats.
Open Records Law
Much of the material in a legislator’s office or kept by a legislator qualifies as a public “record” under Wisconsin’s Open Records Law. This material is required to be available for inspection and copying by the public, including the news media.
The Wisconsin Open Records Law governs requests for government information. The declared policy of the Open Records Law is to entitle the public to the “greatest extent possible information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts of those officers and employees who represent them” in order to ensure an informed electorate. The Open Records Law further indicates that providing the public with such information is an “essential function of a representative government and an integral part of the routine duties of officers and employees whose responsibility it is to provide such information.” [s. 19.31, Stats.] The Open Records Law is set forth in ss. 19.31 to 19.39, Stats.