Governor Doyle Signs Legislation to Encourage Development of Wireless 911 Service

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle signed Assembly Bill 61, legislation that will improve 911 service for wireless phones, and highlighted Assembly Bill 196, legislation that will clarify and improve Wisconsin's Open Records law.

AB 61 addresses a significant public safety need by encouraging the development of enhanced 911 service for wireless phones. The legislation will establish "public safety answering points" that will pinpoint the location of a 911 call that originates from a cell phone. Most 911 answering centers are already able to determine the location of a call, but only when it originates from a landline.

"It is my pleasure to be able to stand up with the legislators who worked in a bipartisan fashion to get this important bill through the Legislature," Doyle said. "As a result of the actions taken today and the hard work of the legislators here, Wisconsin will have a greater capacity to respond to emergencies and provide a safer environment for us all."

The governor said he signed the bill with two partial vetoes in order to ensure that the communities that will implement the law will have the necessary flexibility to make cost-effective upgrades. Doyle vetoed the limitation that the grant program only pays up to 5 percent of the overall costs and the requirement that the Department of Administration oversee a program to coordinated purchases and service contracts by local governments.

The governor also signed AB 196, legislation that will create a process for record keepers to balance the public's right to know with public employees' rights to privacy in deciding whether to release a document. The bill would require notification of public employees when records involving disciplinary matters are about to be released, when records are obtained by a search warrant or when records involve a private-sector employee.

"Wisconsin's open records law is a model for the nation, and is one of our best tools to ensure an open, responsive government," Doyle said. "I am pleased to sign this important legislation which will further improve upon this law by providing clarity about what documents should be released and how the privacy of public employees should be protected. This bill deserves and has received bipartisan support, and I applaud all those who worked so hard to bring it to my desk."