LRB-0262/1
MPG:wlj:rs
2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE
April 8, 2015 - Introduced by Representatives Mason,
E. Brooks, Berceau, Bowen,
Brostoff, Goyke, Hebl, Hesselbein, Hintz, Johnson, Kahl, Kolste, Riemer,
Sinicki, Subeck, Wachs, Zamarripa and Spreitzer. Referred to Committee on
State Affairs and Government Operations.
AB153,1,2
1An Act to repeal 19.87 (3); and
to amend 19.87 (2) of the statutes;
relating to:
2application of the open meetings law to legislative party caucuses.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Currently, under the open meetings law, with certain exceptions, meetings of
state and local governmental bodies must be preceded by public notice, must be held
in places that are reasonably accessible to the public, and must be open to the public
at all times. The open meetings law does not apply to any partisan caucus of the
senate or assembly, except as provided by legislative rule.
This bill deletes the exception in the open meetings law that makes the law
inapplicable to a partisan caucus of the senate or assembly. Under the bill, no rule
of the senate or assembly and no joint rule of the legislature that exempts a partisan
caucus of the senate or assembly from compliance with the open meetings law is
valid.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB153,1
3Section
1. 19.87 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB153,2,34
19.87
(2) No provision of this subchapter which conflicts with a rule of the
5senate or assembly or joint rule of the legislature shall apply to a meeting conducted
1in compliance with such rule
, except that no rule of the senate or assembly and no
2joint rule of the legislature that exempts a partisan caucus of the senate or assembly
3from compliance with this subchapter is valid.
AB153,2
4Section
2. 19.87 (3) of the statutes is repealed.
