(These annotations contain links to selected case law and Attorney General opinions; this list is not comprehensive.)
Wisconsin Open Meetings Law
Wis. Stat. § 19.81-19.98
19.81 Declaration of policy.
19.82 Definitions.
80 Op. Att'y. Gen. 129 (pdf file) Nov. 18, 1991 Analyzing the law's definitions of governmental bodies and quasi-governmental corporations.
78 Op. Att'y. Gen. 67 (pdf file) April 28, 1989
Applicability of law to advisory committees.
74 Op. Att'y. Gen. 38 (pdf file) March 8, 1985 Explaining why "friends" organizations that provide financial support to public television stations are not subject to the open meetings law.
I-10-93 (pdf file) October 15, 1993 Finding that a
consortium of school districts created to develop curriculum is a governmental entity subject to the open meetings law.
I-29-91 (pdf file) Oct. 17, 1991
A school district's strategic planning committee must comply with the open meetings law.
I-34-90 (pdf file) May 25, 1990
A covenant committee created by a city council must comply with the open meetings law.
I-20-89 (pdf file) March 8, 1989)
Regarding the law's applicability to committee-of-the-whole meetings.
050725011 -- 2005_09_09 georgeson.pdf (regarding whether a committee appointed by a school superintendent is required to follow open meetings law)
19.83 Meetings of governmental bodies.
19.84 Public notice.
77 Op. Att'y. Gen. 312 (pdf file) Dec. 19, 1988 Entities may not charge fees to send meeting notices.
I-05-93 (pdf file) April 26, 1993 Governmental agencies may not discuss items that are not listed on the meeting's agenda.
060324011 -- 2006_04_17 peck.pdf (whether meetings must be posted online if a body operates a Web site)
19.85 Exemptions.
80 Op. Att'y. Gen. 176 (pdf file) Feb. 25, 1992 Regarding closed session discussions of hiring of public employee.
76 Op. Att'y. Gen. 276 (pdf file) Nov. 6, 1987 Regarding county board committee's ability to meet in closed session to discuss committee appointments.
74 Op. Att'y. Gen 70 (pdf file) May 9, 1985 Regarding closed session meeting about hiring of public employee.
030611005 -- 2003_06_13 haro.pdf (regarding closed session meetings to interview candidates for elected office positions)
050518015 -- 2005_06_21 michael.pdf (regarding propriety of closed session discussions about job candidates)
19.86 Notice of collective bargaining negotiations.
19.87 Legislative meetings.
19.88 Ballots, votes and records.
030116022 -- 2003_02_21 barth.pdf (closed session votes that are integral to deliberation may not violate open meetings law)
040503072 -- 2004_06_09 strobl.pdf (regarding voting in closed session)
I-95-89 (pdf file) Nov. 13, 1989 Discussing what records are required to be kept to document meetings and actions of governmental bodies.
19.89 Exclusion of members.
19.90 Use of equipment in open session.
19.96 Penalty.
19.97 Enforcement.
Auchinleck v. Town of LaGrange, 200 Wis. 2d 585 (1996) (actions brought under the open meetings and open records laws are exempt from the notice provisions of s. 893.80)
Blonien v. Fleischman (Court of Appeals, 1997) By overturning a lower court's ruling that dismissed an open meetings lawsuit because the plaintiff didn't file a notice of claim, the Court of Appeals in this unpublished decision applied the Supreme Court's Auchinleck ruling retroactively.
Ward v. Town of Nashville (Ct. App. 2001) Because the complainant failed to timely appeal a summary judgment, the court of appeals declines to decide whether a series of closed meetings that led to the approval of a mining contract negated the agreement.
19.98 Interpretation by attorney general.
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