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Wisconsin's Walker in hot seat over open-records restrictions

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker would not spell out his plan to stop the proposal that puts a lock on nearly all public records in the state.

By Amy R. Connolly
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker speaks speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland Feb. 26. Friday, Walker vowed to make changes to budget provisions that dramatically restrict public access to nearly all government records. Photo by Molly Riley/UPI
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker speaks speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland Feb. 26. Friday, Walker vowed to make changes to budget provisions that dramatically restrict public access to nearly all government records. Photo by Molly Riley/UPI | License Photo

MADISON, Wis., July 4 (UPI) -- Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker vowed to make changes to budget provisions that severely restrict public access to nearly all government records, but fell short of providing any specifics to his plans.

Walker, a presumptive Republican presidential candidate, said he will "make changes" to the current proposal that drew harsh criticism from both sides of the aisle, including the state's Republican attorney general.

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"Prior to the budget going to the full Legislature for action, Gov. Walker plans to work with legislative leaders to make changes to the provisions included in the current proposal related to the state's open records law," Walker spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said. She declined further comment.

The measure -- tucked in a package of budget amendments introduced by Republican Joint Finance Committee co-chairs state Rep. John Nygren and state Sen. Alberta Darling -- renders secret most communications among lawmakers and policymakers on the state and local level. It provides draft filings of all legislation to no longer be public. Nygren and Darling said they do not know who included the provisions in the budget. The measure passed 12-4 Thursday along party lines.

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The chief author of Wisconsin's open records law, U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, told the Journal Sentinel the proposed changes would be a "devastating assault on open government in Wisconsin."

"It would be really harmful to the public, so I hope they take it out of the budget," said Adelman, a former Democratic lawmaker.

The new provisions comes as Walker faces a legal battle for allegedly refusing to disclose public records regarding language changes to the state's higher education guiding mission.

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