2Day in #OpenGov 8/9/2012

by

Policy Intern Adeeb Sahar wrote this post.

Here is your serving of today’s transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and local events involving open government.

NEWS ROUNDUP:

Government

  • Political donation cap is too strict on Florida minors: A federal judge ruled that Florida cannot block minors from donating more than $100 to political candidates or organizations, noting that there was not a sufficient state interest to justify the infringement of free-speech rights. (Courthouse News Service)
  • Ethics reform efforts face uphill fight in South Carolina: The S.C. Ethics Commission and the state attorney general are working to overhaul state ethics laws, focusing efforts on requiring lawmakers to disclose who employs them. (McClatchy)
  • Pete Hoekstra shields his lobbying past from public: Though the former congressman and winner of the Michigan GOP Senate Primary ranked as a senior adviser for Dickstein Shapiro LLP, a legal and lobbying firm, any advocacy work he did on behalf of the firm’s clients is not subject to public disclosure. (Republic Report)

International

  • Austrian ex-minister Strasser indicted for corruption: Prosecutors indicted former Austrian Interior Minister Ernst Strasser for a corruption scandal exposed last year — accepting an offer of money from a reporter posing as a lobbyist to put forward amendments to a law. If convicted, Strasser faces up to 10 years in jail. (TrustLaw)
  • More Asian nations passing own anti-corruption laws: Several Asian jurisdictions have passed legislation similar to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in recent years as part of a bid to ensure the operations of multinational organizations are adequately regulated. (TrustLaw)

Open Data

  • FOIA requests show lack of transparency: The Obama administration still has a long way to go when it comes to transparency, according to a recent analysis by the Washington Post that indicates media organizations and individuals seeking information from 10 of 15 Cabinet-level departments under the Freedom of Information Act were less likely to receive it in 2011 than they were in 2010. (Newsdesk International)

RELEVANT BILLS INTRODUCED:

  • None.

REST OF THE WEEK:

  • None.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

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