Your Right to Know

How much does it cost to copy one piece of paper? Many records custodians in Wisconsin charge 25 cents — a price that likely goes back to 2018 guidance from the attorney general that anything in excess of 25 cents may be suspect. But state law says custodians can only charge the “actual, necessary and direct cost of reproduction.”

In the most recent installment of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council's Your Right to Know column, council member Tom Kamenick, provides an overview of the law surrounding the cost of hard-copy public records and encourages requesters to push back the next time a custodian tries to charge them 25 cents per copy.

Most of the time, public officials in Wisconsin obey the state’s openness laws. Sometimes, they need a little prodding from the courts. But the recent conduct of Robin Vos and Michael Gableman is something altogether new, and deeply disturbing, writes Bill Lueders in the latest "Your Right to Know" column from the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council. The column is available for republication by members of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.

Cameras in the courtroom can be helpful in promoting trust and confidence in the judicial process, writes Dan Shelley of Radio Television Digital News Association in the most recent “Your Right to Know” column from the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council. The column, which aims to promote open government, is available for republication.

If a legislator deletes an email, is it truly gone? Not necessarily.