Today in #OpenGov 10/27/2014

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A newspaper with the headline Open Gov National News

  • The Senate won’t move into the 21st century by agreeing to electronically file their campaign finance reports, so the FEC is trying to speed up the process of converting their paper filings into digital data via a contract with Captricity, a firm that worked out a faster way to convert forms to data. (E Pluribus Unum)
  • More than 50 members of Congress will be voluntarily retired come next January and many of them are sitting on significant campaign treasure chests. These no-longer candidates are allowed to send their money to their party or allies, but a number of them have refused to open their checkbooks. (National Journal)
  • Tech entrepreneurs are reaching deep into their pockets to support election reform efforts, which has some observers scratching their heads. (National Journal)

International

  • Understanding the cost of access to scientific research and journals is difficult. The system is essentially opaque. (Open Knowledge)

State and Local News

  • Houston, Texas is the latest city to move forward with an open data policy. Mayor Annise Parker cited transparency, citizen engagement, and innovation as reasons for adopting the policy. (Government Executive)
  • Los Angeles is releasing data on Los Angeles Fire Department response times. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced his hopes to cut significant time off of numbers that he said “stunk”. (Government Technology)
  • California’s most tech savvy candidate this election year may be a Republican running for Secretary of State. (Tech President)

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