Open Meetings Laws and Legislative Immunity in Wisconsin

According to articles on the WKOW TV (Madison, WI)  website, this morning a Wisconsin judge placed a restraining order to stop a controversial budget repair bill from becoming law. The principal cause of action was a violation of the state's open meetings law. However, the names of four legislative leaders were taken off the suit due to their legislative immunity to civil action during the legislative session. Only the secretary of state was left as a defendant.

If the secretary of state were not required to publish the bill, the courts would not have been able to deal with a violation of the open meetings law. Another instance of how legislative immunity stands between government officials and government ethics.