It could soon be a lot more expensive to demand information from governments in the state of Wisconsin.
The state Supreme Court yesterday said people cannot collect attorneys fees if a government gives them the information they are looking for after a lawsuit has been filed, but before a judge decides the case. Bill Lueders with the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, says the ruling is a ‘body blow’ to the effort to keep an eye on what governments are doing. Other transparency advocates say the ruling gives local governments a ‘perverse incentive’ to withhold public information.
