State Legislature Considering More Election Transparency

A state legislative committee is expected to pass a bill later Thursday that would give auditors more access to Wisconsin’s elections agency.

The nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau recently completed an audit of the Government Accountability Board, the state watchdog agency that oversees elections. The audit didn’t include information about any of the GAB’s election investigations. That’s because when lawmakers created the GAB, they decided to keep that information confidential.

But, a plan up for a vote in a state legislative committee on Thursday would open up those records to auditors.

Kevin Kennedy, GAB’s director, said he supports the change.

“As an executive branch agency, what we do should be fully audited by the audit bureau so it can say here’s how they’re doing their job,” he said.

The change would give auditors information about all investigations, Kennedy said, including the GAB’s role in a highly publicized probe involving conservative groups and Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign.