Busted!: Walker Admits Role in Failed Government Secrecy Rule
Source: TPM
After days of dodging questions about whether Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) was involved in a failed proposal to dismantle the state's open records law, the governor's office confirmed Tuesday that his office was involved in the measure.
"Legislative leaders let us know that they were interested in making changes to the open records law. In response, our staff provided input regarding these proposed changes," Laurel Patrick, the press secretary for the governor, said in an email to TPM.
"Our intent with these changes was to encourage a deliberative process with state agencies in developing policy and legislation. This allows for robust debate with state agencies and public employees over the merit of policies and proposed initiatives as they are being formed, while ensuring materials related to final proposals, as well as information related to external stakeholders seeking to influence public policy, would remain fully transparent."
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Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/walker-admits-role-open-records
GOP Leader Admits Scott Walker's Office Involved In Attack On Open Records Law
As fallout continues from Wisconsin Republicans' failed attempt to gut the state's government transparency laws, a GOP leader finally admitted Tuesday Gov. Scott Walker's (R) office was involved in the proposal, which was dropped after passing a legislative committee.
"Sure. Yeah," Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R) said when reporters asked him whether the governor's office was part of conversations about the proposal, as reported by The Capitol Times.
"Along the way we had talked to them about open records issues and the amount of requests the governor gets," Fitzgerald said, according to WISC-TV. "The assembly obviously was involved as well."
Facing a heavy backlash from conservatives and liberals alike, Walker, in a statement joined by the GOP's legislative leaders, announced Saturday that Republicans were dropping the provisions, which were passed on a party-line vote in the legislature's Joint Finance Committee as part of a larger budget package Thursday. Among other things, the proposal would have removed communications and other legislative records from under the scope of the state's government transparency law, and would have allowed lawmakers to refuse to disclose certain documents in public record requests.
More:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/scott-walker-fitzgerald-open-records-changes
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What Else Was Buried In That Wisc. Bill That Almost Gutted Gov't Transparency
Changes the state’s pension board: One provision would alter the composition of the state board tasked with assessing any potential changes to Wisconsin’s retirement system for public employees. Currently, the board, known as the Joint Survey in Retirement Systems Committee, is made up of a mix of lawmakers of both parties, representatives from relevant state agencies and a citizen who is not participating in the state retirement program. If Motion 999 becomes law, it will instead consist of only legislators, with the number chosen by the majority party proportional to the ruling party's majority on other legislative committees, in effect politicizing the board.
The change comes as Walker has struggled to push through measures that would alter the state’s current pension plan. Though Wisconsin’s retirement program is one the most financially sound in the nation, Walker has signaled he would be willing to overhaul the system, only to receive pushback. Officials at the agencies represented on the board have previously said changes to the state’s retirement plan weren’t necessary, however a board made up of entirely partisan legislators might be more likely to greenlight such a plan. Both houses of the Wisconsin legislature and the governorship are currently controlled by Republicans.
Redefinition of Wisconsin’s “living wage:”
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Attacks on limits on the seven-day work week
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Doubling down on Walker's war on public sector unions
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Restricts what is disclosed in public reports of police involved-civilian deaths
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Revoking previous oversight efforts of law enforcement’s use of military grade weapons
Full article:
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/provisions-motion-999-wisconsin-walker
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