WisconsinEye, the statewide public affairs network that broadcasts Wisconsin capitol proceedings, will stop event coverage on December 15 due to lack of funding, according to a statement on their website. Their archive of more than 30,000 hours of footage will also go offline.
Impact on Government Transparency and Legal Research
For legal practitioners conducting legislative history research or tracking statutory developments, this is significant. WisconsinEye has been an invaluable resource since it began broadcasting capitol proceedings in 2007. The ability to watch committee hearings, floor debates, and other legislative proceedings provides context that written records alone cannot capture.
WisconsinEye is the only independent state capitol broadcast network in the country. Losing access to both current coverage and the historical archive would create a significant gap in Wisconsin legal research resources and public access to government.
The organization will resume programming for a year when it receives $887,000 in donations to cover operational costs. More information is available at wiseye.org.
Hat tip to Wisconsin Public Radio and The Center Square for their coverage of this story.