2Day in #OpenGov 8/26/2011

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Here is Friday’s look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events.

News Roundup:

Government

  • Speaker Boehner (R-OH) demanded that President Obama disclose more information about any regulations that cost more than $1 billion. (Politico)
  • Officials at the State Department spent nearly $750,000 on unauthorized expenditures, including a kitchen renovation. The spent funds were originally designated for emergency diplomatic purposes. (iWatch)
  • The Obama Administration is using the Espionage Act to prosecute whistleblowers, making it dangerous for people who can best report fraud and abuse to come forward. (GAP)

Super Congress

  • Many of the Deficit Committee members’ biggest donors have a lot to lose in the deficit negotiations. (Sunlight Reporting)

Campaign Finance

  • Governor Rick Perry (R-TX) will not be able to rely on Wall Street to raise money for his presidential campaign. A new rule passed by the SEC prohibits donations from financial service employees to sitting governors, including Perry. (LA Times)

Technology

  • The Army’s Old Guard is employing an army of iPhones to photograph every grave at Arlington National Cemetery to develop a digital map of the cemetery and fix discrepancies that led to mismatched burial sites. (Yahoo!)
  • The FBI unveiled a mobile device that will allow police officers to check whether suspects are on a list of high risk offenders. (Federal Computer Week)

State and Local

  • Nevada’s upcoming special election is being shaped by outside groups, such as American Crossroads, that are pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into the race. (Roll Call $)
  • California State Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) proposed a bill that will subject the California State Legislature to the state’s open records laws. (Valley Sun)
International
  • A study by the Center of Information Technology Studies at the Universidad Católica concluded that most Chilean municipalities do not comply with the country’s Access to Public Information Law. (Santiago Times)
  • Opinion: Libya’s next minister of oil should publish the contracts that Gaddafi made with oil companies to ensure that the new government is a world leader in transparency. (Guardian)

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 8/26:

  • None

Relevant bills introduced:

  • None

Transparency events scheduled for 8/26:

  • None

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