MADISON - Gov. Tony Evers wants to make it cheaper for the public to obtain government documents in some cases, after taking a series of hits for how he's handled records requests over the last two years.
For decades, government agencies have been allowed to charge those requesting documents for the cost of locating records if that cost exceeds $50. In the state budget he proposed last month, Evers recommended raising the threshold to $100, which would let more people obtain records without having to pay a fee.
The proposal — hailed by open records advocates — comes after the Democratic governor faced criticism for declining to release emails and getting into expensive legal fights with a Milwaukee TV station and a Republican lawmaker.