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Bills from the 2013–14 session

Senate Joint Resolution 58

Requiring the legislature to enact laws requiring reasonable notice of and public access to meetings of governmental bodies, including legislative committees, and making members of the legislature subject to citations and civil penalties for violations of such laws (first consideration)

Stopped in committee

It never got a ⁠, so it never came up for a vote. To try again, a lawmaker would have to start a new proposal.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Oct 24, 2013

  2. Committee, stopped here

    Stopped here. No public hearing was held.

  3. Senate vote, not reached

  4. Assembly vote, not reached

  5. Adopted, not reached

Latest entry in the official record, Apr 8, 2014: “Failed to pass pursuant to ⁠”

It never got a hearing in the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications. See every bill that never got a hearing this session.

Read the proposal

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What it would have done

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

On June 14, 2011, in Ozanne v. Fitzgerald , the Wisconsin Supreme Court held that under the constitutional separation of powers, the courts will not apply the notice and public access requirements of the open meetings law to meetings of legislative bodies.

The constitution also prohibits arrest of members of the legislature except for treason, felony, or breach of the peace and exempts members from civil process during the legislative session and for 15 days before and after the session.

Read the full summary

This constitutional amendment, proposed to the 2013 legislature on first consideration, requires the legislature to enact laws requiring reasonable notice of and public access to meetings of governmental bodies, including legislative committees, and making members of the legislature subject to citations and civil penalties for violations of such laws.

A constitutional amendment requires adoption by two successive legislatures, and ratification by the people, before it can become effective.

Who's behind it

7 senators are its ⁠. All 7 are Democrats.

25 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 32 names

Authors (7)

Signed on in support (25)

What happened

  1. Apr 8, 2014

    The session ended, and the proposal died with it.

  2. Oct 24, 2013

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications.

  3. Oct 24, 2013

    Introduced in the Senate.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Oct 24, 2013 · Senate

    Introduced by Senators Vinehout, C. Larson, Carpenter, Harris, Lehman, Risser and Wirch; cosponsored by Representatives Richards, Barca, Barnes, Berceau, Bernard Schaber, Billings, Doyle, Genrich, Goyke, Hebl, Hesselbein, Johnson, Kahl, Kessler, Kolste, Mason, Ohnstad, Pope, Sargent, Shankland, C. Taylor, Vruwink, Wright, Young and Zamarripa

  2. Oct 24, 2013 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications

  3. Apr 8, 2014 · Senate

    Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1

Terms on this page

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

More in the glossary

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

More in the glossary

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1. More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Committee

A small group of lawmakers that looks at a bill first. Most bills never leave committee.

Public hearing

A meeting where anyone can speak to a committee about a bill, or send written comments.

Senate Joint Resolution 1

The session's calendar. Any bill not passed by its last voting day dies.

Official term: Failed to pass pursuant to SJR 1

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor