2Day in #OpenGov 3/28/2012

by

Policy Fellow Matt Rumsey wrote this post.

Starting today we will be instituting a few changes to 2Day in #OpenGov. If you have an opinion on what’s good, bad, or ugly please let us know in the comments! With that, here is Wednesday’s look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events.

News Roundup:

Government

  • McCain predicts campaign finance scandals: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a longtime proponent of strong campaign finance laws, predicted that Citizens United and other recent Supreme Court decisions will lead to corruption and scandal. (iWatch News)
  • FTC wants transparency for data brokers: The Federal Trade Commission called on Congress to pass a consumer privacy law and demand more transparency from companies that track and broker consumer data. (O’Reilly Radar)

Revolving Door

  • From Agriculture to Accenture: Chris Smith, currently the Chief Information Officer at the Agriculture Department, is slated to resign his position next month. He is leaving to become the Chief Technology and Innovation Office at Accenture, a large technology consulting firm. (Federal Times)
  • FBI CIO to private sector: Chad Fulgham, the FBI’s Chief Information Officer, is preparing to leave for a position in the private sector. (Federal Computer Week)
  • Charles Schwab nabs hill veteran: Charles Schwab named former hill staffer Scott Eckel as a vice president in its office of legislative and regulatory affairs. Eckel has worked for Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) and former Sen. John Sununu (R-NH)

International

  • NGOs demand EU transparency: A growing group of NGO’s have endorsed a set of 20 demands for transparency as the EU works to update their access to documents regulations. (Access-Info)
  • Transparency for Russia’s state-owned businesses: A new law requires companies in Russia’s significant state-owned business sector to publish contracting rules and report contracts worth over $2500 Euros. (Transparency International)

Happening around town today, 3/28:

Hearings:

  • How NOAA Procures Data for Weather Forecasting. Science, Space, and Technology. 2:00 pm. 2318 RHOB. Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment.
  • Assessing efforts to combat waste and fraud in Federal programs. Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Wed. 3/28. 2:30 pm. 342 DSOB. Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security.
Events:
Scheduled for tomorrow, 3/29:
Hearings
  • Federally Funded Research: examining public access and scholarly publication interests. House Science, Space, and Technology. 10:00 am. 2318 RHOB.
  • Hearing to examine S.2219, to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to provide for additional disclosure requirements for corporations, labor organizations, Super PACs and other entities. Senate Rules and Administration. 10:00 am. 301 RSOB. Full Committee
Events:

Relevant bills introduced:

  • H.Res.595. Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3309) to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for greater transparency and efficiency in the procedures followed by the FCC. Passed by the House, 3/27/2012.
  • H.Con.Res.114. Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should preserve, enhance, and increase access to an open, global Internet. Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Do you want to track transparency news? You can add our feed to your Google Reader, or view it on our Netvibes page.