MADISON, Wis.—The first in a series of round table discussions touted by Gov. Scott Walker as a way to gather information about possible tax reforms from "hardworking taxpayers" was closed to the public until it was nearly over, a move described as standard procedure that will continue.

Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, along with state Revenue Department Secretary Rick Chandler, hosted Monday's event at Beloit College with area business leaders. A reporter for the Beloit Daily News tried to attend, but was not allowed in until the final segment an hour after the meeting began.

Walker, in a Tuesday press release, touted the Beloit round table as the first in a series around the state to "start a conversation with Wisconsinites and gather information and input from taxpayers on the real impact of Wisconsin taxes in consideration of future tax reform."

Walker said the meetings are an "outstanding opportunity for the hardworking taxpayers to voice their opinions and offer suggestions on Wisconsin's tax climate." But the Beloit event, as well as two similar ones scheduled for next week in Superior and Eau Claire, are by invite only and will not be open to the general public, said Kleefisch's chief of staff, Casey Himebauch.

A contractor that worked on the State Department’s environmental review of the Keystone XL pipeline is a member of several energy industry groups that have urged the government to support the project — news that is sure to further opponents’ accusations of bias.

Climate activists have already complained about alleged conflicts of interest by the London-based firm Environmental Resources Management, a company that worked on a State Department draft study concluding that TransCanada’s Alberta-to-Texas pipeline would pose little risk to the environment. The department’s inspector general is also conducting a probe into possible conflicts of interest in the pipeline review process.

While a previous State Department investigation found no conflicts of interest, the latest information could further roil a debate that has already turned Keystone into a political headache for the Obama administration, a campaign issue for Republicans in 2014 and a source of tension between the U.S. and Canada.

Websites or promotional material of the Western Energy Alliance, the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers and the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association all list ERM as a member. In addition, two top ERM staffers are listed on the boards of the Western States Petroleum Association — another coalition of energy interests that supports the Keystone pipeline network.