MADISON, WI – Today, the Wisconsin State Assembly returned for the first floor day of 2026. Rep. Lori Palmeri released the following statement:

“Today was the first session day of 2026. It was also the first time in 19 years that the public did not have access to what happened inside the Assembly Chambers. While the funding for WisconsinEye is uncertain, Democrats have been pushing for solutions in the meantime. Some of these solutions involved having staff record on their phones to then share on social media,” stated Rep. Palmeri.

“While staff had previously been allowed to record or take photos during committee proceedings, we were told last week this was no longer allowed. I found that to be ironic as we were holding a public hearing in the Committee on Environment for AB 635. Legislation that would require the Department of Natural Resources to be transparent and notify counties and tribes when there is an exceedance of contaminants in their groundwater.

“Today we heard not one, but two, constitutional amendments that propose changes to our state constitution. These are no small changes. If we want constituents to be engaged in government, we need to make accessing this information easier.

“At a time when our constituents are asking for more transparency and more accountability, they are now meeting them with less. Wisconsinites deserve to have access to the statements made and the votes taken in this chamber.