cleoeo
April 6th, 2002, 07:40 AM
The Wisconsin Open Records Law requires State government records be available to the public upon request. The State is permitted to recover the cost of reproduction, but not to make a profit selling records. The intent is to prevent secret government files; the reasoning is that the public owns these records, pays for their production and maintenance, and has a right to see them.
Access to some records is restricted under Federal Law - your driving record or juvenile court records for example. The Open Records Law works pretty well here, although the proliferation of computer databases has made the issue a political hot potato.
Hypothetically, if the State of Wisconsin held a seminar on energy policy and the press requested a list of the seminar's attendees and agenda they'd better get it quick. Any State Records Coordinator that denied or stalled such a request would get a whole HEAP of grief from his boss.
Access to some records is restricted under Federal Law - your driving record or juvenile court records for example. The Open Records Law works pretty well here, although the proliferation of computer databases has made the issue a political hot potato.
Hypothetically, if the State of Wisconsin held a seminar on energy policy and the press requested a list of the seminar's attendees and agenda they'd better get it quick. Any State Records Coordinator that denied or stalled such a request would get a whole HEAP of grief from his boss.