Today in #OpenGov 9/19/2014

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Keep reading for today’s look at #OpenGov news, events, and analysis including big spending on conservation, open data and FOI in the Philippines, and innovation at the DC City Council. 

A newspaper with the headline Open Gov

National News

  • The League of Conservation Voters is going to spend a record amount, $25 million in total, on this year’s midterm elections. (Roll Call)
  • Sheldon Adelson has chipped in $10 million to Crossroads GPS and pledged another $10 million to a similar group focused on electing members of the GOP to the House. (POLITICO)
  • The House of Representatives is considering a rule that would force think tanks to disclose their foreign government donors when their scholars testify before the chamber. (New York Times)
  • The House Committee on Government Reform approved of the bipartisan Inspector General Empowerment Act which would, among other things, boost inspectors general’s ability to subpoena government contractors and former government employees. (Government Executive)

International News

  • The G20 is planning to consider ways to limit loopholes that result in large corporations locating their headquarters in various countries in order to pay the least they can in taxes. Transparency International is urging the group to take that a step further and address more explicit, illegal forms of corporate corruption. (Transparency International)
  • The Philippines is planning to integrate open data principles into its freedom of information law. (Future Gov)

State and Local News

  • The Washington, DC City Council is hiring an “innovation fellow” who will serve as a “hacker in residence” helping to improve access to public data with open source tools. (Government Executive)
  • The Tumml civic technology accelerator is sending 7 new startups out into the world with $20,000 worth of funding and plans to improve citizen services in cities. (Government Technology)

Events Today

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