When student journalists at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee had a hard time getting information about their student government’s budget and election practices, they asked Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen if student governments should be subject to open meeting laws.

On Dec. 17, Van Hollen said that student government organizations that play a role in determining how student fees are spent or what university policies will be would be subject to open meeting laws like other governments.  Student organizations that do not play that type of roll are not subject to open meeting laws under the opinion. 

In Wisconsin, state statue gives students “primary responsibility for the formulation and review of policies concerning student life, services, and interests” and “the disposition of those student fees which constitute substantial support for campus student activities.” 

The Student Press Law Center reported the story, and spoke with Jonathan Anderson, the special projects editor for the UWM Post.

"It gives us an argument when we make a records request to a University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee student government. We hope that it makes the process easier when requesting records," Anderson told SPLC.

The student journalists explained that their mission is to ensure public oversight of the student government’s expenditure of public funds.

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