You can read online the “Wisconsin Legislator Briefing Book” for 2011-2012, prepared by the state Legislative Council.
This reference is full of information citizens can use to learn about the state budgeting process, the legislative process, the Open Meetings Law, open records requests, and backgrounds of selected segments of state government, including agriculture, state-tribal relations, privacy, criminal justice, and more. You can learn who must register as a sex offender, when a juvenile court may waive a juvenile into adult court, how the state has financially supported K-12 education, etc.
In addition, at the beginning of each legislative session the Legislative Fiscal Bureau prepares Informational Papers that describe various state programs. Examples include “Charter Schools,” a “University of Wisconsin System Overview,” “University of Wisconsin Tuition,” “Tribal Gaming in Wisconsin,” and “State Programs for Veterans.”
