Today in #OpenGov 9/23/2014

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Keep reading for today’s look at #OpenGov news, events, and analysis including trouble with the paperwork, plenty of news from around the world, and a game of Red Light Green Light in California.

A newspaper with the headline Open Gov

National News

  • American Crossroads had some trouble filling out its FEC paperwork last week. The GOP oriented super PAC misidentified its second largest August donor as Glenmede Trust Company. Glenmede didn’t give the PAC and money, but Thomas and Sandra Sullivan, the parents of Dan Sullivan who is running for Senate in Alaska, did. (Public Integrity)

International News

  • Kosovo is a young country, not yet even recognized by the UN, but its citizens are getting involved and turning to civic technology to help grow their fledgling nation. (Code for America)
  • A set of speeches given Labour and Conservative party conferences were eventually taken off of the internet. mySociety’s SayIt tool was created to publish this sort of content and the group dug up the old speeches and is now hosting them. (mySociety)
  • Germany finally released its G8 Open Data Action Plan (almost a year late) to a restrained response from open government advocates. Open data is gaining strength on the local level in Germany and some don’t think this country-wide document goes far enough. (Tech President)

State and Local News

  • Google has announced that it will end its relationship with the shadowy and controversial American Legislative Exchange Council over that group’s approach to climate change. (National Journal)
  • A new report shows that a red light camera vendor, Redflex, spent nearly $4,000 wining and dining key Sacramento County Sheriff deputies and California Highway Patrol officer’s over a 5 year period in order to secure a renewed contract. Redflex has a history of potentially corrupt deals. (Ars Technica)
  • Before the digital age, public libraries played a key role by fulfilling the information needs of ordinary people. They can do the same in the digital age, but they must adapt and evolve to do so. (Knight Foundation)

Events This week

Do you want to track transparency news? You can follow the progress of relevant bills, court cases, and regulations using Scout. You can also get Today in #OpenGov sent directly to your preferred news reader. If you would like suggest an event, please email mrumsey@sunlightfoundation.com by 7 am on the Monday prior to the event.