Wisconsin Department of Transportation Open Records Request Fine

Madison, WI: The state Department of Transportation (DOT) has agreed to pay a $500 forfeiture as part of a settlement for not complying with an open records request for a report comparing the cost of using state workers and contractors. The department agreed to plead guilty to allegations it "arbitrarily and capriciously" denied or delayed its response to a request for the report under the deal with the state Justice Department. The report proved controversial because it contradicted a study by the Department of Administration on contracting costs. Gov. Jim Doyle pledged during the 2002 governor's race to trim 10,000 employees from state payrolls and has argued that contractors could perform work more cost effectively than Wisconsin state employees.

DOT officials claimed they didn't release the report because analysts were still gathering more data and there were questions about whether it was a public record. The settlement, filed in Dane County Circuit Court, said DOT has begun providing training on the state's records laws to each employee who plays any role in processing record requests. (Jan-25-07) [LA CROSS TRIBUNE: WI DOT FINE]

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