Your Right to Know

How to jump start your records requests

The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council has long posted a records request template on its website, wisfoic.org. It cites Wisconsin law and uses language to target your request and help you avoid surprise fees.

Opees highlight good works, and bad

In advance of national Sunshine Week (sunshineweek.org), March 15-21, the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council has named the winners of its 20th annual Openness in Government Awards, or Opees.

Ann Walsh Bradley and the cause of openness

This month, for the first time in 30 years, the Wisconsin Supreme Court is without Justice Ann Walsh Bradley. It is also without one of its most consistent advocates for transparency in government. 

When transparency is disregarded

Recent weeks have brought forth two of the most egregious violations of the public’s right to know that I have seen in more than three decades of tracking openness issues on the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council.