Collected by Policy Intern Jacob Hutt

After a short post-4th of July week, it’s already Friday! Here is today’s look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events.

News Roundup:

Government

• President Obama’s core group of technology advisers have departed the White House over the last six months, raising speculation about the future of the president’s technology-based goals. (Politico)

Access to Information

• FOIA request levels were higher in the first quarter of this year than they have been since the Act’s inception in 2005. (The Register)
• A National Archive blogger called on the federal government to use more understandable language in communication with the public, moving away from its acronym-based lexicon. (National Archives)

State and Local

• The Massachusetts State Legislature negotiated the $30.6 billion budget almost entirely in secret, with no minutes recorded or times and locations of meetings published. (Boston Globe)
• A lobbyist registration and finance disclosure act in Philadelphia will go into effect even later than anticipated, after legislators delayed its implementation date. (Philly)
• Opinion: disclosure statements of legislators’ economic interests in Wisconsin provide greater transparency and accountability to state government. (Wisconsin Watch)

International

• Kenya released volumes of government data on education, public health, population statistics and other topics in an effort to enhance information access. The open data initiative, launched on the new web portal Open Kenya, is being called the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa. (Yahoo News)
• Opinion: Vancouver’s open government initiatives could bring the province up to speed on transparency and information accessibility. (Vancouver Sun)

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 7/8:

• Bank Examination Practices. Financial Services Committee, Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee. 9:30 am. 2128 RHOB.

Relevant bills introduced:

• S. 1339. A bill to provide for the compilation and reporting of participation data relating to Federal rulemaking; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Transparency events scheduled for 7/8:

• None.