Wisconsin bill would force athletic associations to share records
A state bill that would force Wisconsin’s athletic association to comply with existing open records and meetings laws was discussed in a public hearing on Tuesday, The Green Bay Press Gazette reported.
The move was the latest attempt to force national and state-level athletics associations to comply with public records requests after denials led to lengthy legal battles in other states.
Although the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletics Association (WIAA) collects membership dues and fees from state schools, its executives maintain it is a private, nonprofit organization that is therefore immune from public records requests.
The proposed bill before Wisconsin’s Assembly would prevent public schools from joining athletic associations unless the organizations adhere to state open records and open meetings laws. It comes in the wake of a lawsuit filed by the WIAA last year against several media organizations that published still pictures and video of sporting events.