MADISON – Today, Representative Brienne Brown (D-Whitewater) and Senator Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) introduced new legislation, LRB-5710, to overhaul public access broadcasting and create more transparency in state government. This legislation comes after WisconsinEye, a nonprofit that has covered state government meetings while not being an official government entity, shut down on Monday, December 15, 2025, citing an inability to raise enough money to continue operations.
It is clear the WisconsinEye model is not working and is not enough to fulfill their mission: delivering nonpartisan, unedited, state government coverage. LRB-5710 will create a new public affairs network funded by the state to ensure continuous, unedited, and nonpartisan coverage of all legislative proceedings, to create a complete digital archive of all recordings that is freely accessible to the public, and provide coverage for other government meetings, hearings, and civic events.
Rep. Brienne Brown issued the following statement:
“As a former investigative journalist, I know that free, unedited access to footage of legislators is not a luxury, it’s a necessity for accountability. At a time when local newsrooms are collapsing and misinformation spreads faster than facts, cutting off public access only deepens the crisis. It is more important than ever that we allow our constituents direct access to the work we are doing in Madison.”
Sen. Mark Spreitzer issued the following statement:
“Wisconsin has a long history of transparent and open government. From our state’s first statutes in 1849 to today, public access to government has been recognized as critical to a healthy representative government. WisconsinEye’s shutdown caused an immediate and unacceptable loss of public access to state government – including meetings happening this week which will not be recorded or broadcast at all. Unless we take action, the legislature’s floor sessions in 2026 will not be publicly accessible and will not be recorded for the future. This important legislation will ensure continuous, nonpartisan public access to state government for the people of Wisconsin.”
