2015-2017 Wisconsin Budget

Update: Gov. Scott Walker backs away from changes to open records law but is mum on his role

By |

The governor and legislative leaders declined to say whether the governor himself was behind the original measure. A review by the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism shows similarities between recent records request denials from the governor’s office and the state Department of Administration and changes inserted in the budget Thursday by Republican leaders — similarities that raise questions about whether Walker himself was involved in the budget proposal.

Your Right to Know
Michael Buelow

Your Right to Know: OpenBook offers partial peek at state spending

By |

In January, the state of Wisconsin launched a new websitewith a searchable database that lets the public see what state government spends on goods, services and other operating costs. OpenBook Wisconsin — openbook.wi.gov — debuted with more than 25 million records for expenses including real estate transactions, building projects, maintenance, office supplies, and rents. Records for state agencies, the Legislature and the courts date back to mid-2007. The site’s records for the University of Wisconsin System start in fiscal 2013. The site, which the state plans to update every two weeks, allows searches for each fiscal year by state agency, type of expenditure or vendor.