Republican transparency push blocked again
On March 27, Democrat Tony Evers vetoed Senate Bill 16, a Republican attempt to finally drag the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association out of the shadows and into the sunlight of open-records and open-meetings laws. The bill would have forced the WIAA to play by the same rules as the public schools it lords over, or risk losing its taxpayer-funded fiefdom.
The GOP-controlled Legislature passed the bill to target the WIAA, the unelected nonprofit that dictates eligibility, schedules, and the fate of high school athletes across Wisconsin. Supporters pointed out the obvious: the WIAA’s decisions can make or break scholarship dreams for thousands, yet the group operates in the shadows, free from the accountability that public schools must face. The WIAA has been involved in several lawsuits over its rigid transfer rules that bar students who moved due to a house fire or a sick sibling. Ironically, the WIAA’s Executive Director’s own children transferred from the Marquette University basketball team due to internal issues. Even 10 years ago, top WIAA officials earned six-figure incomes.
In his veto message, Evers wrote: “I am vetoing this bill in its entirety because I object to the Wisconsin State Legislature forcing a private entity to abide by and comply with the very state public records laws from which the Legislature exempts itself.” He added that the WIAA, by its own testimony, “is committed to transparency, and much of their information is already publicly available.”
The veto marks the second time Evers has blocked similar legislation; he rejected a comparable bill in 2021.
Republican sponsors framed the bill as a commonsense accountability measure. Rep. Cindi Duchow, R-Delafield, said WIAA rulings “have the potential to impact scholarship opportunities and the overall well-being of student athletes in Wisconsin. Transparency regarding their most impactful decisions is not too much to ask.” Sen. Cory Tomczyk, R-Mosinee, testified that while WIAA member schools are subject to open records and open meetings requirements, the association itself is not, even though it uses taxpayer-funded facilities.
The WIAA opposed the bill from the start. Executive Director Hauser warned lawmakers that eligibility decisions frequently spark controversy and that the group would be “pummeled” by transparency. The organization also cited a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that it is not a governmental or quasi-governmental entity. In a statement, the WIAA said the legislation would impose burdens on public offices and “disrupt our ability to effectively serve our member schools and student-athletes.”
The bill’s author quickly condemned the veto as another example of Evers shielding a powerful, unaccountable organization from scrutiny. Some social media reactions from Republican accounts labeled it as evidence that the governor “hates transparency,” echoing long-standing conservative frustration with the WIAA’s handling of eligibility disputes and other policy decisions affecting public school programs.
The WIAA loves to claim it’s just a private group, all while wielding outsized power over taxpayer-funded student athletes. Bill supporters rightly pointed out that when the WIAA makes a bad call, parents and taxpayers have no real way to fight back.
