Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council

06/01/2026

This month's "Your Right To Know" is by Peter Cameron of The Badger Project, concerning controversial efforts to obtain a list of all law enforcement officers in Wisconsin.

June: Names of police should be public Uncategorized June 1, 2026June 1, 2026Peter Cameron In 2024, a sheriff’s deputy working for the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Department was forced out for being lousy at his job. But even though the deputy, Cristian Morales, was flagged in the state’s negat...

05/04/2026

The "Your Right to Know" column from the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council for May 2026 was written by Council member Tom Kamenick. He suggests a way to encourage records custodians to make faster and more efficient responses.

May: How to solve high record costs and long delays 2026 Columns May 4, 2026Tom Kamenick The two most common complaints I hear from people seeking public records are “Why is it taking so long?” and “Why does it cost so much?” Unfortunately, it’s often difficult to mount a successful legal ...

04/01/2026

April's "Your Right to Know": Jump start your open records requests with these resources from Council Vice President Christa Westerberg.

April: How to jump start your records requests 2026 Columns April 1, 2026Christa Westerberg Wisconsin’s Open Records law gives requesters the right to request records from their government. After all, as the law states, “a representative government is dependent upon an informed electorate.” Bu...

03/20/2026

Yesterday we held the Opees, our annual awards for the best and worst in open government news.

The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council's Opee Awards, now in their 20th consecutive year, recognize outstanding efforts to protect the Wisconsin's trad...

03/09/2026

The Opee Awards, now in their 20th consecutive year, recognize outstanding efforts to protect the state’s tradition of open government, as well as highlight some threats to it. They are being announced in advance of national Sunshine Week, March 15-21. Winners have been invited to appear at a free public event in Madison on March 19. (See our web site for details.)

Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council names ‘Opee’ winners for 2026 FOIC press releases March 9, 2026WisFOIC FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Bill Lueders (608) 669-4712 [email protected] March 9, 2026 Two attempts to peel back the veil of secrecy over the proliferation of data centers are bei...

02/02/2026

In this month's "Your Right to Know," the difficulties that immigrants face in obtaining government records to prevent their deportation, as described by Elisabeth Lambert of the Wisconsin Education Law and Policy Hub.

February: A FOIA fight over immigration records 2026 Columns February 2, 2026Elisabeth Lambert The headlines are full of stories about the Trump administration’s aggressive new approach to immigration enforcement. We hear about ICE raids and mass deportations. But there’s another, less publicize...

01/24/2026

Urban Milwaukee reports that "Assembly leaders from both sides of the aisle proposed legislation Thursday that would fund WisconsinEye and return the public affairs network to streaming Capitol proceedings, weeks after the state’s version of C-SPAN went off the air."

But now Senate needs to take up bill. Network remains offline.

01/22/2026

In preparation for Sunshine Week, the Council seeks nominations for its annual Opee awards, celebrating the best and noting the worst of the past year when it comes to open meetings and open records.

Seeking Opee Nominations for 2026 FOIC press releases January 22, 2026WisFOIC Dear Council members and supporters: The Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group that works to protect access to public meetings and records, is now accepting nominations for its annual Ope...

12/30/2025

This month's "Your Right to Know" is by Jon Henkes, president and CEO of WisconsinEye. It deals with that group's current financial difficulties. "While many people roll their eyes and tune out the sometimes messy, partisan, unpredictable work of state government, WisconsinEye Public Affairs Network encourages citizens to lean in. For the past 18 years, Wisconsin’s equivalent to C-SPAN has provided an inside look into the workings of state government."

January: Protect transparency, save WisconsinEye 2026 Columns December 30, 2025Jonathan Henkes Every year in Wisconsin state government, billions of taxpayer dollars are spent on programs and policies that impact every citizen, community, school and business. While many people roll their eyes and tu...

12/19/2025

City staff should be able to explain their work to the public—through an independent press and accountable council—without fear of reprisal.