Wisconsin’s public affairs network, WisconsinEye, ceased operations on December 15 due to a lack of funding.
Democrats have urged Republicans to either fund the network or create a state-run replacement for broadcasting legislative proceedings.
Following the shutdown, Republicans began enforcing a ban on public recordings of legislative hearings.
MADISON – Democratic leaders urged Republicans to come to the table to find a solution to either fund the WisconsinEye public affairs network or replace it with a state-run program to broadcast legislative proceedings.
WisconsinEye – effectively the state’s version of C-SPAN – went dark on Dec. 15 and no longer provides live coverage of events inside the state Capitol. Since then, Republicans have also begun enforcing a ban on members of the public recording legislative hearings.
Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, said during a Jan. 13 news conference before a scheduled floor session that Republicans’ actions and the lack of a plan to replace or bring WisconsinEye back is making the Legislature less transparent.
“Since 2007, people from every corner of this state, from Racine to Superior, have been able to tune in and watch our work in the Capitol on WisconsinEye,” she said. “Today there will be no live stream from WisconsinEye, and no one will be able to see the proceedings like they have for the last 19 years. It is not a good day for accountability to the people who elected us to serve.”
WisconsinEye launched a GoFundMe page in January, seeking donations to resume its operations short term. So far, it has raised about $8,000, with a goal set at $250,000. Previously, leadership estimated it would need $1 million in operational support to resume programming for one year.
Democratic lawmakers in December proposed creating the Office of the Public Affairs Network within the state Department of Administration, which would provide live video and audio coverage of proceedings. The office would receive $2 million per year in state tax dollars to fund its operations.
Neubauer said she has spoken to Republican leadership about the issue but declined to comment further.
Rep. Mark Bare, D-Verona, said he has heard from constituents who have been unable to get to the Capitol to listen to committee hearings over the last week. Wisconsin is not following its tradition of making government decisions accessible to the people being affected.
“Offering people the opportunity to see what we do is vitally important,” he said. “And I feel for those constituents who can’t see what we’re doing.”
A spokesman for Speaker Robin Vos last week said committee meetings are still transparent because a record of the proceedings, including votes taken and written testimony, is uploaded to the legislative website.