(The Center Square) – The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association will not be subject to open meetings and public records requirements after Gov. Tony Evers vetoed a bill that would have added that requirement.
The private organization that governs high school athletics for the state’s public and private schools fought the legislation, saying it is private and does not accept tax money.
“I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object the Wisconsin State Legislature forcing a private entity to abide by and comply with the very state public records laws from which the Legislature exempts itself,” Evers wrote. “By the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association’s own testimony, the organization is committed to transparency, and much of their information is already publicly available.”
Former Gov. Scott Walker vetoed a similar bill in 2015 and Evers vetoed one in 2021 as well.
Proponents of the bill, however, argued that the organization does not make important information available to the public and does not provide enough information when it makes eligibility rulings in particular.
lawmakers that passed the bill argue that the WIAA needs more transparency on its decision-making authority over public high school athletes and schools.
“WIAA’s membership is made up of schools whose boards are subject to open records and open meetings laws, but WIAA is not,” Sen. Cory Tomczyk, R-Mosinee, said in testimony on the bill. “When taxpayer dollars are involved, proceedings should be open and honest. While WIAA receives no taxpayer funds, it uses taxpayer funded facilities and is a fixture in our public school system. While exempting referee and pupil records to keep their personal information safe, SB 16 aims to bring to light what is going on behind the scenes at WIAA and increase transparency between the organization and its members, students, and parents.”
The WIAA’s Executive Director Stephanie Hauser told a committee that the group’s eligibility decisions can become controversial and “I think we’re going to get pummeled with them” regarding public records requests.
“This legislation advances even though the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the WIAA is not a government or quasi-government entity,” the WIAA said in a statement after the vote. “SB 16 imposes burdens typically meant for public offices, and we are concerned this will disrupt our ability to effectively serve our member schools and student-athletes.”
