NEWS ROUNDUP:

• Oakland, CA, trying to stay out of San Francisco’s open data shadow, has a new budget visualization website. Open Budget Oakland, put together by OpenOakland, launched this week  with visualized budget data for 2011 – 2013 and will soon be updated to include budget blueprints through 2015. (Tech President)
• It looks like Mark Sanford has let his relationship issues get in the way of his ambitions once again. The NRCC cut ties with Sanford immediately after reports surfaced this week that his ex-wife had accused him of trespassing on her property earlier this year. Now they’re being joined by a number of well funded outside groups. (Roll Call)
• Jamaica is taking steps to foster an open data community in hopes of sparking a start up culture and improving governance. Officials highlighted a number of steps being taken by the country at the “Developing the Caribbean” conference last week in Kingston. (O’Reilly Radar)
• The ethics probe into Rep. Michele Bachmann is slated to take an interesting turn. Her former Chief of Staff, Andy Parrish, is expected to testify that Bachmann’s presidential campaign inappropriately paid an Iowa State Senator to work for her.  (POLITICO)
• The Obama Administration’s recently released open government self assessment shows progress, but also presents a rose colored view of some of the administration’s actions. (POGO)
• Open Government Indonesia is pushing a new portal called “Lapor” to encourage citizens to report corruption by public officials. OGI is part of the OGP and is made up of a number of government agencies and NGO’s. (Future Gov)
• France looks set to institute wide-reaching asset disclosure rules for public officials  in response to recent corruption scandals. Rules have already been put in place for government ministers and a there is a law pending that would extend disclosure to members of parliament. (Transparency International)

RELEVANT BILLS INTRODUCED:

• None.

HAPPENING TODAY 4/19:

• None.

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