Free Press | MacIver Institute

MacIver Institute Wins Grand Prize at ‘Lights, Camera Liberty!’ Film Festival

Fake Doctors’ Notes Video Report Garners Atlas Award

[Dallas, Texas] Wisconsin’s MacIver Institute has won an award for their reporting of the labor unrest at the State Capitol.

MacIver beat out international competition to win the Grand Prize in the ‘Lights Camera, Liberty’ contest, which was presented at The Atlas Experience conference in Dallas, Texas last week.

“We congratulate the leadership and staff of the MacIver Institute for their tremendous achievements in reaching large audiences through video communications and for the critical role they continue to play educating citizens of Wisconsin and the nation,” said Brad Lips, Chief Executive Officer of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation.

The award winning video, which can be seen here, was narrated and produced for the MacIver News Service by investigative reporter Bill Osmulski.

As tens of thousands of public employees skipped work earlier this year to attend protest rallies outside the Wisconsin State Capitol, many wondered if they would face any disciplinary action for unexcused absences. On Saturday, February 19, a group of men and women in lab coats purporting to be doctors were handing out medical excuse notes, without examining the ‘patients.’ Osmulski captured the event on camera and produced his award winning video that day.

With that, MacIver broke a national news story and it continues to follow the disciplinary procedures against the doctors, teachers and other public employees involved in the scam. The video was seen on national newscasts and featured on the Drudge Report and several other websites.

“We didn’t set out to report on the madness in Madison as a way to win awards, but it is always nice to have our work recognized,” said MacIver Institute President Brett Healy. “We are humbled to be honored by such a respected organization as Atlas.”

The other finalists for the award included the Mackinac Public Policy Institute and the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

The Atlas Economic Research Foundation is a nonprofit organization connecting a global network of more than 400 free-market organizations in over 80 countries to the ideas and resources needed to advance the cause of liberty.

The MacIver Institute, think tank located on the Capitol Square in Madison, is the Free Market Voice for Wisconsin. In addition to operating the MacIver News Service—a copyright free, open source news-reporting agency that focuses on state and local governments—MacIver publishes research and analysis on education, tax and health care issues and operates the WiOpenGov.org transparency website.

www.MacIverInstitute.com

-30-

Tags: Capitol Chaos, Free Press, MacIver Institute, MNS
Posted in News, mi reports | May 4, 2011 | | 3 Comments

MacIver Institute’s Efforts to Continue in Wake of Supreme Court Ruling

.

The Free Market Voice for Wisconsin Remains Open for Business

[Madison, Wisconsin...] As a result of the Wisconsin State Supreme Court’s injunction prohibiting the enforcement of a controversial rule, the MacIver Institute’s policy analysis, website and archives remain publicly accessible over the internet. With the injunction blocking a rule that would limit the rights of individuals and organizations to criticize their government, the MacIver Institute will also continue to publish its research and distribute updates to their vast email list.

“We believe the GAB’s attempt to stifle criticism of elected officials runs counter to the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment and we are happy the State Supreme Court issued this injunction,” said MacIver Institute President Brett Healy. “With this reprieve, our website remains up and we’ll continue to churn out the information and analysis that thousands read every week.”

MacIver offers the public original news reporting through their copyright-free MacIver News Service. Any blogger, pamphleteer, newspaper or broadcast station in the state is free to reproduce our articles, with attribution, at no cost.

MacIver Institute analysts also produce research reports and provide commentary on the actions and policies of state and local governments, including the actions and policies of specific elected public servants.

The GAB’s rule would have restricted the rights of individuals and entities to inform, comment and criticize during the months prior to an election.

“The work of state government does not come to a complete stop 60 days prior to an election,” said Healy. “New administrative rules, burdensome regulations and even public policy ideas will be introduced throughout this time period and we will continue to report and comment on them.”

Thanks to their various distribution channels and social networking sites, MacIver’s work has been seen by hundreds of thousands of individuals over the last year and a half.

“The political class should spend less time trying to stifle free speech and criticism of their precious reputations and instead focus on the state’s out of control spending and crushing debt,” said Healy. “With a structural deficit of $2.5 billion and unemployment over 8%, Wisconsin needs their elected officials to grow the economy and bring back jobs.”

MacIver’s website is www.MacIverInstitute.com – individuals can sign up to receive updates at: http://maciverinstitute.com/contact-us/

www.MacIverInstitute.com | twitter.com/maciverwisc | http://www.facebook.com/MacIverInstitute http://www.youtube.com/user/MacIverInstitute

Tags: Free Market, Free Press, Free Speech, MacIver Institute, MNS
Posted in News | August 16, 2010 | | Comments Off

MacIver Institute Fights for its Free Speech Rights

The MacIver Institute has joined several other groups and individuals in a fight for their free speech rights.

The John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy is a Wisconsin non-profit think tank, fully qualified as tax exempt under §501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code. We provide the public with original news reporting, analysis and commentary on the actions and policies of state and local governments, including the actions and policies of specific elected public servants.

The MacIver Institute cares about public policy and the impact public policy decisions will have on Wisconsin’s future. Like all such organizations, the MacIver Institute must certify compliance with IRS regulations, including a certification that it has not engaged in political activities. If we fail to comply, we can lose our tax exempt status.

Unfortunately, the Government Accountability Board has created its own rule that contradicts the decisions of the United States and Wisconsin Supreme Courts. The new rule labels as “political” activity all communications that identify someone who happens to be a candidate for office and that express approval or disapproval of that person’s character or positions on the issues the communication discusses. If we publish any such communications within 60 days of an election, we must open a bank account, transfer to the account the funds used in publishing the communications, register with the GAB, pay he GAB a $100 fee, identify the communications, file a sworn oath that they are not “independent” expenditures, attach a disclaimer to each one, record them, and file campaign finance reports about our activities, including 24 hour reports during the last 15 days before the election.

The work of state government does not come to a complete stop 60 days prior to an election date.

New administrative rules, burdensome regulations and even public policy ideas will be introduced throughout this time period.

The public has a fundamental right to know what its government is up to and debate these proposals in the public square.

The new GAB rule does not allow the MacIver Institute to provide this public service without the prior approval of the State.

Arbitrarily set time frames for this debate will not work. Unelected bureaucrats should not fear nor curtail this discussion of ideas or interfere with free speech. The John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy cannot accede to the newly minted definition of amended GAB 1.28, so we will have little choice but to cease what we have freely and openly done since our inception unless the court intervenes.

Tags: Free Press, Free Speech
Posted in mi perspectives | August 10, 2010 | | 2 Comments

Shield Bill Passes Senate

MNS – [Madison, Wisc...] Assembly Bill 333, which supporters named the journalists’ shield bill, passed the Wisconsin State Senate today on a voice vote.

The bill creates a new, specific, reporter shield law in the state–protecting journalists from having to testify in court or divulge confidential sources in most cases.

This bill prohibits a person, other than a court, from issuing a subpoena compelling a news person to testify or produce information about any of the following:

The identity of a confidential news source.
Any information that would tend to identify a confidential news source.
Any information obtained in confidence by a news person in gathering or preparing information for potential dissemination to the public.
Any other information or identity of a source of information that is obtained by a news person in gathering or preparing information for potential dissemination to the public.

According to the analysis of the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau, the bill gives the court authority, after a hearing, to issue a subpoena to compel a news person to testify or produce information

The court may issue the subpoena if the person who requests the subpoena establishes by clear and convincing evidence, in a criminal investigation, that a crime has occurred, or in a civil action, that the complaint states a claim upon which relief may be granted, and if all of the following conditions apply:

1. The information or identity of the source is highly relevant to the criminal investigation or civil action.

2. The information or identity of the source is critical or necessary to the maintenance of the party’s claim, defense, or to the proof of an issue material to the criminal investigation or civil action.

3. The information or identity of the source of the information is not obtainable from any alternative source.

4. There is an overriding public interest in the disclosure of the information or identity of the source of the information.

The bill also restricts the issuance of a subpoena to order a person who is not a news person to testify or produce information related to a business transaction between that person and a news person if the intent is to obtain information that cannot be obtained from the news person. There are exceptions to this restriction under the bill if the information is highly relevant, necessary for the party’s claim or defense, and not obtainable from other sources.

The bill allows the court, in a criminal investigation in which a news person is the subject of the investigation, to order the issuance of a subpoena at the request of the prosecutor without giving the news person advance notice of the request and a hearing if the court determines that giving advance notice would pose a substantial threat to the integrity of the investigation.

Assuming Governor Doyle signs the bill, which had earlier cleared the Assembly, Wisconsin will become the 39th state to enact a shield law which provides certain protections for journalists and their confidential sources.

Tags: Free Press
Posted in News | April 20, 2010 | | Comments Off