Senate Republicans Block Out Sunshine
"Elected officials should work for Wisconsin families, not out-of-state special interests," said Matt Ullsvik, SSDC Executive Director.
MADISON, WI – After leading the charge to gut Wisconsin’s open record laws last summer, Senate Republicans have continued their fight against clean, open and transparent government. In the final days of the legislative session, Senate Republicans are once again blocking action on legislation (AB873/SB704) to expand access to open records.
“Elected officials should work for Wisconsin families, not out-of-state special interests,” said Matt Ullsvik, SSDC Executive Director. “Instead, Senate Republicans continue to wage war on transparency and accountability to hide their misguided political agenda and special interest influences.”
Last summer, Several Finance Committee members including Senators Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls), Tom Tiffany (R-Hazelhurst) and Luther Olsen (R-Ripon) voted to gut Wisconsin’s open record laws and exempt legislators from public scrutiny. Additionally, a recent report by the Associated Press found that the Senate Republican Leader failed to fully comply with a routine open records request last month.
“This year’s Sunshine Week is a powerful reminder of the importance of government transparency,” added Ullsvik. “Special interest influence at WEDC, large campaign donors getting preferential treatment and the cost of Gov. Walker‘s presidential campaign were just a few of the major stories revealed thanks to Wisconsin’s open record laws. Rather than more Republican attacks on transparency, residents heading to the polls this year should demand more accountability and reject Republican secrecy.”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by State Senate Democratic Committee
Darling Dodges 100 Days of Work
Jul 24th, 2020 by State Senate Democratic CommitteeCOVID-19 Cases and Deaths Rise as Republicans Ignore Crisis
Senator Darling is Part of the Problem
Jun 4th, 2020 by State Senate Democratic CommitteeCo-Chair of Joint Finance Committee history of blocking measures to address racial disparities
25 Million Reasons Not to Trust Patrick Testin
May 8th, 2020 by State Senate Democratic CommitteeRepublican’s Failure to Act Costs State Millions in Federal Funds
