DA files open meetings complaint against Fitzgerald over budget session

[PeaceNikki]

Source: Wisconsin State Journal

Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne on Wednesday charged a legislative conference committee with violations of the state open meetings law for its March 9 meeting that led to passage of Gov. Scott Walker’s controversial budget repair bill.

In a news release, Ozanne wrote that he filed the charges after he received several complaints about the meeting. The civil complaint, filed in Dane County Circuit Court, was not immediately available.

An online court record for the case lists only state Rep. Jeff Fitzgerald, the Assembly speaker, as a defendant.

“Once this office received a verified complaint, which is needed by statute to give us jurisdiction, we began an investigation,” Ozanne wrote in the news release. “Our investigation has found merit in the verified complaints, which allows us to commence this litigation. This litigation does not address the merits or the wisdom of the legislation.”

Read more: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_19b9492e-500b-11e0-911b-001cc4c03286.html

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Follow @ACLUMadison on Twitter for updates.

[musiclawyer]

1. I wonder if he's a republican?

That would be sweet

[PeaceNikki]

2. Dane County DA?

No. He was a Doyle appointee.

[Scuba]

3. I can hear the Republican response now...

"He must be a furriner with a name like that."

[Iliyah]

4. And he is

un-American with that name, I tell you, un-American!

[iwishiwas]

5. They are too busy as they are at a DC fundraiser tonight--the

big Walker poodles are anyway.

[Iliyah]

6. Hehehe

The poodle and his littler. And there awaits the dog catchers.

[iwishiwas]

8. "and his litter" Great. I might use that ok?

[old guy]

7. Now that this has been filed,

can the Dems file separately for a injunction against the bill until this issue is decided? If the complaint is upheld, will the passage be voided?

[iwishiwas]

13. That was already done and denied by a judge. But I do

not know the answer to your second question and I wondered about that myself.

[iwishiwas]

14. Void my first response as I see this issue has been UPDATED. see

downstream of this OP

[kpete]

9. (WIS) DA files open meetings complaint over budget session(Asks Judge To Void Walker's Measure)

Source: Wisconsin State Journal

DA files open meetings complaint over budget session

In a challenge to Republican leaders, Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne has asked a judge to void Gov. Scott Walker's measure to limit collective bargaining for public employees, saying lawmakers violated the state's open meetings law when they pushed the legislation through last week.

In a civil complaint filed Wednesday in Dane County Circuit Court, Ozanne alleges that a joint Assembly-Senate conference committee met without providing the required 24 hours' notice, and that notice of the meeting did not give the public enough information about what would be discussed.

Ozanne also alleges that the space for the meeting, the Senate Parlor, was not large enough to accommodate members of the public and that people who wanted to attend the meeting were barred from entering the Capitol, also in violation of state law.

The complaint also seeks to bar Secretary of State Doug La Follette from publishing the legislation, as he has said he would do on March 25, the last step before it takes effect.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_19b9492e-500b-11e0-911b-001cc4c03286.html

[mokawanis]

10. One more part of a package

We're resisting the crooked Repugs on all fronts. While Ozanne's tactic might not accomplish anything it does go on record and serves as another reminder for Walker, Fitzgerald, and the other pukes that we mean business and we're bringing the fight full throttle. Thanks for posting this, I missed it in the local news here in Madison.

[defendandprotect]

11. kr

[Skip_In_Boulder]

12. Cool

[iwishiwas]

15. kpete. This deserves a separate OP as it has been UPDATED

to include the information on the DA asking to void the bill.


whow. whow.