A new bill is making its way through the Wisconsin State Legislature that could bring the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) under the state’s public records and open meetings laws. 

According to reporting from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, State Rep. Cindi Duchow and Sen. Cory Tomczyk are co-sponsoring the legislation, which seeks to increase transparency for the nonprofit organization that governs high school athletics in Wisconsin. The bill, which is currently in preliminary stages, aims to ensure that meetings and decision-making processes within the WIAA are subject to public oversight, like state and local government entities. 

Even though it’s not directly funded by taxpayer dollars, WIAA is made up of more than 500 public and private school districts, managing high school sports across the state. However, unlike public agencies, the entity currently does not have to operate under the same transparency requirements because it is a 501c3 nonprofit (bringing in $12.7 million in revenue in 2023, according to its IRS 990 report) 

The proposed legislation would potentially change that by bringing the nonprofit under state laws that govern public meetings, allowing the public and media to access internal information like meeting minutes and decisions. The bill also includes some exemptions to protect the privacy of individual referees and students involved in WIAA activities. 

This isn’t the first time such a bill has been introduced. There have been a few failed attempts dating back to 2009. 

Back in 2009, Rep. Tony Staskunas, who proposed the original measure, argued that WIAA, functioned too much like a private entity, despite its oversight of taxpayer-supported school districts. 

“This is an organization that is basically entirely funded on state and local tax dollars, but conducts itself as a private organization,” Staskunas told Wisconsin Public Radio at the time. “So, I really do feel that we need to open things up and let the sunshine in a little bit.” 

Posted: February 4, 2025
Category: Brechner News
Tagged as: Brechner FOI Project, Brechner Freedom of Information Project, Government Transparency, open records laws, public records, Secrecy Tracker