Your Right to Know column: State must do more to promote openness The state’s openness laws should not be seen as a burden, but as a way for public officials to build trust with the people they represent. Wisconsin needs a stronger commitment to transparency, from the top on down. Written By: Bill Lueders / Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council | 11:00 am, Dec. 18, 2020 × Bill Lueders Last January, a person involved in local emergency management asked the Office of Open Government, part of the state Justice Department, whether emergency preparedness coalitions run by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) are subject to the state’s open meetings and open records laws.