A Lafayette County resolution that sought to dictate, under threat of prosecution, what media can report about a controversial water-quality study had its origins from a member of the Iowa County Board. According to emails released through a state public records request, Iowa County Board chairman John Meyers sent Grant and Lafayette county officials suggestions for the resolution on October 31st, including a portion directed to the media that “under no circumstances are they to be allowed to glean information and selectively report it in order to twist results.” Meyers’ e-mail to Lafayette County economic development director Abby Haas and Grant County Board Chairman Bob Keeney advised, “threaten to prosecute them for slander.” His suggestions also included censuring board members “caught distorting information intentionally.” The resolution, which surfaced in early November, drew statewide and national attention for likely being illegal, and unconstitutional. The Lafayette County Land Conservation Committee approved a modified version of the resolution on November 12th and it was stripped of other controversial provisions and tabled later by the full County Board. Attempts to control the information from the Southwest Wisconsin Groundwater and Geology Study came after county officials complained that national and state media outlets in April had reported study findings incorrectly based on an inaccurate report in a publication that was picked up by The Associated Press. Outlets corrected that information once it was found to be incorrect. Meyers said he was “just venting” with the suggestion to prosecute journalists and never actually wrote the resolution. Lafayette County officials now say that the resolution is no longer being considered.
