(The Center Square) – A bipartisan Assembly bill that would contribute funding to WisconsinEye to focus on live video of the Wisconsin Legislature, committees and state government operations is expected to be taken up in front of the full Assembly on Tuesday.
The bill does not have an attached Senate companion as of noon Monday.
WisconsinEye is a private nonprofit that shutdown Dec. 15, but received $50,000 in funding through the Joint Committee on Legislative Organization to go on the air through February and Assembly Bill 974 would then allow the network to receive grants for the interest earned on a $9.75 million endowment each year, estimated to be between 4-7% interest or between $390,000 and $682,000.
“Moving forward, I think it’s important that WisconsinEye works toward the ability to cover every committee hearing, every open meeting of our state government,” Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, said in testimony on the bill. “But that requires a strong, private fundraising operation to build their long-term viability. I sincerely hope that they’re able to work towards this goal.”
WisEye board chair Mark O’Connell testified in from of the Assembly Committee on State Affairs, saying that WisconsinEye raised more than $56,000 through donations on GoFundMe since it went off the air Dec. 15 and that there are seven donors willing to give $25,000 annually and one that will donate $50,000 annually if the legislation passes, which he said would put the network in a “relatively strong position in partnership with the state.”
The bill requires that appointees of the Assembly Speaker, Senate Majority Leader, Assembly Minority Leader and Senate Minority Leader that are not members of the Legislature be added to the WisEye board of directors.
It states that the focus of coverage must be on official state government meetings and business that free online access be provided to its live broadcasts and digital archives and that WisEye provides an annual financial report to the Legislature and Joint Finance Committee.
