2Day in #OpenGov 10/25/2011

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Policy Fellow Matt Rumsey wrote this post.

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

News Roundup:

Super Committee 
  • GOP Governors have joined the list of groups lobbying the Super Committee. The Republican Governors Association has sent a letter urging the committee to cut spending by rewriting Medicare laws. (Politico)
Government
  • The Justice Department has proposed a rule that would allow Federal agencies to tell people making FOIA requests about certain law enforcement or national security related documents that no such records exist, even when they do. (ProPublica)
  • The House Ethics Committee may be ready to launch a full scale investigation into allegations that Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA) pressured her staff to engage in banned political activities while on government time. The committee has been quietly looking into the claims since last year. Politico)
  • The Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is calling on the Defense Department to do a better job tracking domestic violence incidents involving military service members. They want DOD to institute a central database to track and target domestic violence in the armed services. (Government Executive)
  • A new report suggests that Federal agencies are struggling to compile substantive and useful mobile applications. (ExecutiveGov)
State and Local
  • The San Francisco Ethics Commission has approved a new set of campaign finance laws. The measure includes new disclosure requirements for 3rd party spending relating to a candidate, and an affirmation of a $500 individual contribution limit. (Lobby Comply)
  • The Montana Commissioner of Political Practices is working on new rules for using social media in campaigns. The current laws were crafted primarily for radio, TV, and print media. The rules are being revised in response to complaints about the use of email and social media. (Lobby Comply)
International
  • A new website allows Chileans to investigate possible conflicts of interest between their elected officials and business interests. The site includes data from financial disclosure reports. But, those have been found to be inconsistent. Data is also pulled from three other independent sources, to correct for inconsistencies in the disclosure reports. (techPresident)

Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 10/25:

House
  • Judiciary. H.R. 3010, the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011. 2141 RHOB. 10:00 am. Full Committee Hearing.

Relevant bills introduced:

  • None.
Transparency events scheduled for 10/25:

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