WISONSIN RAPIDS, WIS. (WSAU) Wisconsin’s attorney general is telling state-and-local officials not to abuse their new ability to keep personal e-mails secret on their tax-funded computers. The State Supreme Court ruled two weeks ago that it was okay for Wisconsin Rapids school teachers not to release personal e-mails on their work computers. But Attorney General J-B Van Hollen says that if any part of an e-mail sheds light on government business, it must be released – and any personal information in those notes can be blacked out.
Van Hollen released a memo on the subject yesterday, after concerns were raised that state-and-local officials will use the court ruling to hide important business or corruption just by putting personal nuggets in their messages.
Bill Lueders of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council praised Van Hollen’s memo. He said it gives clear guidance that should minimize the potential harm from the court’s decision. Lueders says it’s important to let the public know that it still has the right to official business written on government e-mails. Van Hollen says anyone concerned about a mis-use of public time or resources should ask for records that could reveal the abuse. And he said people can still get statistical information about the number of e-mails from a government computer, and when they’re sent.
