Sheila Plotkin, an 80-year-old retired teacher and McFarland resident, is among the growing segment of Americans questioning the strength of democracy in this country.
In 2015, she took the lead in forming a citizens’ group, “We, the Irrelevant,” which uses public records requests to gauge the power of citizens to influence state government, The Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism looked into this question in considerable detail and the results of its investigation are reported here. [WARNING: reading this article may be hazardous to your confidence in Wisconsin’s state government.]
“Your Right to Know”: Mail ballots threaten government transparency
The Wisconsin Constitution states that “the doors of each house” of the state Legislature “shall be kept open,” except on rare occasions. But even with the doors open, the public may not know what’s going on.
A growing trend threatens transparency — and good government — in Wisconsin. Some legislative committees are using “mail ballots” to vote, instead of voting during public meetings. It’s a practice that goes back over a decade, and one that has been used by both parties.