What’s next for Wisconsin Act 10? June 20th, 2011 By Patti Wenzel

If you thought the battle of Wisconsin Act 10 was over when the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the legislature had not violated the state’s open meetings law, then you haven’t been paying attention.
That lawsuit was just the opening salvo in the union and Democrats’ attempts to overturn the legislation and save collective bargaining for the majority of public employees in the state. Suing on the basis that the Joint Committee of Conference violated the public’s right to notice and access to a March 9 meeting was a long shot – the Legislature always had their own rules and separation of powers card to play – but the the suit went forward and has now played itself out.

 That is the lead in to the story ... click title to get to the Third Coast Digest.

Keeping Track of Open Meetings and Walker 4/13 PRWatch.org

In Newsmax Interview, Walker Misleads on Administration's Legal Support for GOP Legislators Submitted by Brendan Fischer on April 13, 2011

From the source -

Despite Walker's faith in the conduct of fellow Wisconsin Republicans, his legal team is not contending that GOP legislators followed the law, but only that violations of that law be enforced more leniently. In its petition to the Supreme Court, not once does Walker's Administration argue that Republican legislators acted lawfully.

Walker's petition focuses on three issues, claiming (1) that breaking an Open Meetings law is a "procedural violation" that cannot be punished through voiding a legislative act, (2) that a court does not have jurisdiction to prevent a bill from becoming law (even if it may have authority to void a law once enacted), and (3) that the Act is published and is now law, meaning Sumi's order has no relevance. The brief also questions whether the District Attorney can sue to invalidate a statute, and whether Judge Sumi could enter an order considering defendants' legislative immunity. Significantly, the petition does not discuss whether legislative notice rules can override Open Meetings laws (which, if argued, could have implied legislators acted lawfully).

Open Meetings: DOJ tells Supreme Court key deadline looms over collective bargaining law -By Patrick Marley - Journal Sentinel

Click on Title ... Thursday looks like drama day (or sooner)!  Lazar, Ozanne, DOA, Sumi's TRO - some other pending "vacate" requests ... I gather after Thursday Sumi (TRO - Open Meetings) can't be overruled!  The request to vacate, as I recall, is in regard to DOJ filing that Sumi exceeded her authority!

Rep. Roys - Open Mtgs Ltr /Complaint via TheWheelerReport

Written Date 4/1 - click title to see original

4/1 OpenMeetings - Sumi - Off. Blackdeer - eyewitness - images

Huge line of people tried to get into Capitol before meeting JSOnline reported 4/1

Madison -- There was a huge line to get into the Capitol just before a March 9 conference committee met, a law enforcement officer testified Friday.
Capitol Police Officer Dan Blackdeer, who headed the Capitol command post that day, said only one of eight entrances was open before the meeting. He described a “bottleneck” at the entrance.

Eyewitness - See blog entry (several) with my pictures - see Index in Pages as well -

Law INDEX - Open Meetings and Records, FOIA, Academic Freedom

Wisconsin Capitol 3/9 ~6:10pm - near Assembly Chamber - Protest - Open Meetings

Wisconsin Capitol: 3/9 - just inside King St entrance ... waiting for wanding!!

Wisconsin Capitol 3/9 ~5:45pm all entrances closed except King St     This One Especially

3/9 now 3/29 late - Wisconsin: Ash Wednesday Walker Ambush - It Begins... update!

3/31: WSJ 11:15am - Walker administration will comply with judge's order halting collective bargaining law

At least they will comply for the next few hours ... will the Republicans call a vote again ... popular theory is they do not have the votes ... watch for a Republican Caucus meeting ... what surprises can the DOJ spring ... Sumi could still rule tomorrow or a little later to remove the TRO and have La Follette set a date for publication!  Click the Title to see WSJ article.

If we get Open Meetings upheld will we get Open Capitol upheld?

One young persons reaction to
Open Meetings meaning and an Open Capitol - MAYBE!

I would love to go the Capitol and see my legislators but I think it will be on lock down until Walker gets recalled ... it is truly a large inconvenience to the public to have to be wanded, go through metal detectors, empty your pockets, etc. - and they keep switching which doors you can use to enter!  What's that all about?

3/30/11: DOA Monitoring? Open Meetings Decision

Ambiguous ambiguity ... do not implement means do not implement ... find out Friday when Judge Sumi hearing continues!  If the Legislature violated Open Meetings Law anything you do after that seems moot ... published or not??!  Click on Title to see document via TheWheelerReport.com .

Click on image works too (in most browsers) !

WI ~9:30am 3/29 - OpenMeetings includes Tweeting for Posterity - Lawsuits

Too funny not to share ... Ms. Arp is in Judge Sumi's Court ... and tweeting ...

@news3jessica Jessica Arp

My auto-correct wants to change Barman to "Batman" and Sumi to "sumo". Argh. This is going to be a long day.

WI - Another Judge - DA Ozanne's request - Sat - FitzWalkerChaos

The WheelerReport.com provides an insight into "Open Meetings Lawsuit" and LRB publication - Judge O'Brien's ruling.  Click Title for Judge's decision.

Previous Blog - WI - FitzWalkerChaos - Protest Goes On - 3/26 - Another Ambush

WI - Open Meetings lawsuit, Prosser in a bind???

Click here to see Court rulings in PDF

March 24, 2011- Wisconsin Court of Appeals declines to rule on "Open Meetings" lawsuit - go to State Supreme Court

So when and which way will Prosser vote on "Open Meetings" - even sitting on his hands he probably loses - will the real justice stand up!!!

It  is  appropriate  to  certify  to  the  Supreme  Court  appeals  raising issues  which  that  court  might  otherwise  ultimately  consider  on  a  petition  for review, in order to reduce the burden and expense of the appellate process on both the parties and  the  judicial  system.   See Wisconsin Public Serv. Corp. v. Public Service Comm’n of Wis., 176 Wis. 2d 955, 958 n.1, 501 N.W.2d 36, 37 n.1 (1993) (Abrahamson, J., concurring).  Because this appeal presents significant issues, we believe that the Supreme Court is the proper forum for it.

In the blog: WI - Dane County latest filings on Open Meetings violations - Budget Repair from 3/22

WI - UPD 3/24 #2: Dane County latest filings on Open Meetings violations - Budget Repair

... WSJ says Prosser says ...
Prosser will not recuse in collective bargaining law appeal

On to the Supreme Court ...

WI - "Open Records" lawsuit, Prosser in a bind???

DA had until 4pm to file ... from the article in WSJ ...  Click on Title to see WSJ

          Dane County DA fires back at attorney general over budget bill appeal

If the attorney general's office had its way, no court could overturn a law even if everyone agrees that the state legislature violated every requirement of the states open meetings law, Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne wrote Tuesday.

See related in Blog: http://wi1848forward.blogspot.com/2011/03/wi-state-attorney-general-wants-open.html

WI - Madison Capitol - 3/9/2011 - Closed N. Hamilton Entrance - Officers following orders

3/9/2011 ... The officers stepped outside the left entrance (of three) and the doors were closed behind them ... the officers proceeded to East Washington entrance while the rest of us went to King St.  This is the night the Republicans called a conference meeting and Barca claimed Open Meetings Law violations!!

One of officers who blocked the N Hamilton entrance 3/9

The two officers going into E. Washington entrance - we proceeded to King St.

Was it legal?  Time stamp on my image is 5:48.

Images just a little later in time - in blog

WI : Dane County Lawsuit - Open Meetings Violations 3/16/2011

Not a bad read ... I am using some aspects of the blogger I'm not sure about!

This is the Lawsuit against Fitzgerald , et. al. about the way they passed the Budget Repair Bill ... click the title and see what you get?!

I think it is working the way I intended now???! Click the back button on your browser to return from the document to the blog!

Other more recent issues ... will this become a recurring theme of FitzWalkerStan :
Building Commission Meeting Closed? Risser and Pocan Object!