2Day in #OpenGov 1/31/2012
Policy Fellow Matt Rumsey wrote this post.
Here is Tuesday’s take on transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events.
News Roundup:
Campaign Finance
- CREDO Mobile, which donates some of its revenue to progressive causes and supports efforts to repeal Citizens United, launched a super PAC to target 10 Tea Party affiliated lawmakers. (National Journal)
- A study by the Wesleyan Media Project found that outside spending on political ads is up 1,600 % in the Republican primary over the same point in 2008. The surge is contributed, in large part, to the rise of super PACs. (Politico)
Lobbying
- Lobbying and communications firm Venn Squared Communications is holding a cocktail celebration for Sen. Al Franken’s (D-Minn) new Chief of Staff. Franken’s previous Chief of Staff left for a job with energy company Solazyme, a major client of Venn Squared. (Roll Call $)
- A former special assistant to the president and director of Cabinet communications, Tom Gavin, is leaving the White House to join the Information Technology Industry Council as their vice president for external affairs. (The Hill)
Government
- The Senate voted 93-2 to move forward with debate on the STOCK act. The act is intended to prevent members of Congress from participating in insider trading. (Politico)
- The announcement that U.S. CTO Aneesh Chopra have caused some to worry about the future of the open data movement within the federal government and others to argue that more emphasis should be placed on using data to make government services and operations cheaper and more efficient. (Government Technology)
- 15 members of Germany’s Pirate Party, who won seats elections in Berlin last year, are receiving renewed attention following the shutdown of file sharing site Megaupload. The party consists of open-source advocates who hope to create a more transparent government and use online systems to enhance democracy. (Miller-McCune)
Relevant committee hearings scheduled for 1/31:
- None.
Relevant bills introduced:
- None.
Transparency events scheduled for 1/31:
- How Digital Cameras Reduced Election Fraud in Afghanistan: A Field Experiment. CGD. 10:00-1:30 pm. Center for Global Development, 1800 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Third Floor, Washington, DC.
- A Question of Integrity: Politics, Ethics and the Supreme Court (Documentary). Woman’s National Democratic Club. 11:30 am – 2:00 pm. 1526 New Hampshire Ave, NW Washington, DC 20036.
- Cyberspace and the State. IISS-US. 1:45-3:00 pm. 2121 K Street NW, Suite 801, Washington, DC 20037.
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