Sunrise (3/14/11)

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AP SURVEY: OPENNESS IN STATE GOV

AP: “More openness in government. Lawmakers across the country, including the Republicans who took control in many states this year, say they want it. But a survey of all 50 states by The Associated Press has found that efforts to boost openness often are being thwarted by old patterns of secrecy. … The survey did find signs of progress in a number of states, especially in technological efforts to make much more information available online. But there also are restrictions being put in place for recent electronic trends, such as limits on access to officials’ text messages.”

NY GOV SEEKS LOBBYING TRANSPARENCY

NY Daily News: “Cuomo says the public should know the financial muscle behind the ads and actions of new groups that pop up lobbying for various issues, a senior administration official said during a wide-ranging interview Friday. … As part of an ethics reform plan, Cuomo wants to require any organization that spends at least $50,000 and 3% of their total expenditures on lobbying to disclose any donor that contributes at least $5,000, administration officials say. … “You have disclosure on the political side, but on the lobbying side you don’t,” the official said. “You don’t know who’s funding what. There should be disclosure of everything.”

WORST KIND OF REVOLVING DOOR

Roll Call: “After spending nearly three decades as a Congressional aide, Rusty Roberts is making the jump to K Street. On Friday, he left his job as chief of staff to Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and today he starts a new gig as managing director of the transportation practice at BGR Government Affairs.”

FUNDRAISING PARTIES

–Freshmen GOP Agriculture Committee members are raising money–big money–with leadership tonight. That and other fundraising parties here.