“It was a bad vote. I knew it at the time.” – Sen. Olsen

MADISON, WI – After voting to gut Wisconsin’s open record laws, Sen. Luther Olsen (R-Ripon) still won’t apologize for his controversial position. In a recent interview, Sen. Olsen said, “It was a bad vote. I knew it at the time.” He attempted to justify his bad vote by claiming he believed Gov. Walker would veto the controversial provision.

“Sen. Luther Olsen’s vote to gut Wisconsin’s open record laws is a profile in cowardice,” said Matt Ullsvik, SSDC Executive Director. “He knew what he was doing was wrong and he did it anyway. Rather than apologize for turning his back on taxpayers, he continues to defend his misguided attacks on government transparency and roll out excuses for his recklessness. Hardworking families in central Wisconsin deserve better than Sen. Olsen’s poor judgment and political calculations.”

Sen. Olsen was one of several Republicans to vote for a last-minute budget amendment in 2015 gutting the state’s open records law requirements for legislators and the governor. The sweeping provision would have shielded politicians from public oversight and denied individuals the ability to review political records.