Doyle OKs Creating State Tartan, Nixes Broader Access to Juvenile Court Records

Governor Says Juvenile Information Should Be Closely Guarded

Updated: 7:44 pm CDT April 7, 2008

With a few strokes of his pen on Monday, Gov. Jim Doyle wielded his executive authority to sign one bill into law. All legislation on his desk wasn't so lucky.

He vetoed a bill that would expand access to juvenile court records for police, judges and social workers.

Current state law considers juvenile court records confidential. Law enforcement officers, judges and prosecutors must request permission from a judge to access them.

The bill would have deemed the records open to any law enforcement officer, judge or district attorney. It also would have opened the records to the state Department of Health and Family Services, county human services departments and licensed child welfare agencies.

Doyle said that the bill is too broad and makes the records available to too many people. He said that juvenile information is sensitive and should be closely guarded.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin no longer has to worry about being without an official state tartan.

Doyle signed into law on Monday a bill creating the official tartan.

A tartan is a pattern of crisscrossed horizontal and vertical bands.

The official Wisconsin tartan contains the colors of muted blue, scarlet, gray, black, dark green, dark yellow and dark brown.

The tartan now joins a host of other official state designations including the song, domestic animal, insect, fossil and fruit.

Doyle's signing of the tartan bill Monday was celebrated in the state Capitol rotunda by the playing of bagpipes by the measure's supporters.

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