Rep. Taylor
Democratic lawmakers are proposing a bill that would require the state Department of Justice to track and disclose how much money and staff time it spends on civil cases. State Representative Chris Taylor (D-Madison) says DOJ has initiated or participated in court actions regarding issues including Obamcare, transgender students, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
“It’s very unnecessary but expensive litigation,” said state Senator Chris Taylor (D-Madison). “When we try to figure out how much this is costing, the answer from DOJ is ‘well, we don’t keep track of it.'”
Taylor says taxpayers deserve to know who the money is being spent. The proposal from Taylor and Representatives Dana Wachs (D-Eau Claire) and Fred Kessler (D-Milwaukee) would require DOJ to submit an annual report to the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee that details the cost, staff time and status of each civil case it handles.
“Taxpayers deserve to know how the money is being spent,” Taylor says.