NEWS
UW regents possibly violated laws, according to state AG
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by Stacy Waite
Friday, March 26, 2004
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents possibly violated state open meetings law but will not be prosecuted, State Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager announced Wednesday.
<p>The claim was directed at possible “walking quorums”, meetings between smaller groups of regents before a public vote, which are illegal. According to the Capital Times, the quorums could have occurred prior to more than 15 Board of Regent meetings.
<p>Lautenschlager claimed the possible violations occurred during phone sessions with regent executive committee members. The members will not be prosecuted because she believes they did not intentionally break any laws.
<p>”First, we believe that at the time the conferences were held, the individual regents were relying on the prior legal advice they had received about the role of the executive committee, providing a good faith defense to any potential violation,” a letter from Lautenschlager’s office to Regent President Toby Marcovich said. “Second, your willingness to agree to send all current regents and executive staff a memorandum reminding them of the various provisions of the open meetings law should ensure heightened attention to compliance in the future.”
<p>Lautenschlager advised the board to comply with open meeting laws in any future phone conferences including the Executive Committee in the letter.
<p>But Marcovich said Lautenschlager resolved the claims in a written statement.
<p>”The Wisconsin Attorney General’s Office informed me today that its examination of the past practice of small numbers of regents conducting telephone conference calls prior to regent meetings did not violate the state open meetings law,” he said in the statement.
<p>Marcovich promised the Board will continue to conduct business in a professional manner.
<p>”I believe that the attorney general has reached the correct conclusion in this matter,” Marcovich said in the statement. “Going forward, we will work to ensure that the important work of the Board of Regents continues to be conducted in a fair and open manner.”
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