2Day in #OpenGov 4/22/2013

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NEWS ROUNDUP:

  • Despite still being allowed to file their campaign finance reports on paper, a growing number of Senators are embracing the future and filing electronically. John Tester, who introduced legislation that would require every Senator to e-file, is joined by a bipartisan group, although more Democrats have taken up the practice than Republicans. (Public Integrity)
  • Steven VanRoekel, the US CIO, expressed his hopes that open data will become “the default setting of the federal government” during a speech last week. As part of his message he urged vendors and contractors to plan to collect and distribute data in ways that will allow agencies to make it available in free, non-proprietary formats. (Federal Computer Week)
  • GOP Boy Wonder Marco Rubio’s leadership PAC raised $650,000 during the first quarter. Insert played out joke here: the PAC spent more than $47,000 on bottled water. (Roll Call)
  • I think everyone can agree that last week was tough on America’s mental state, and through that our productivity. But, the string of tragic events didn’t slow the train of political fundraising moving all across the nation. (Public Integrity)
  • Mark Zuckerberg’s FWD.us jumped into the immigration debate feet first last month, paying Republican lobbyists with the firm Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock $30,000 in march to lobby on the issue. FWD.us also signed up Peck Madigan Jones, but the firm has yet to file their first quarter report. (Roll Call)
  • The NRA is spending more than ever on federal lobbying as they face a massive push to reform some gun laws. They spent at least $800,000 in the first quarter to lobby on a number of bills in the House and Senate. (Public Integrity)
  • President Obama raised more than $43 million to fund his second inaugural festivities, not quite reaching the high bar that he set with his first inaugural haul of $53 million. A number of major corporations and unions cut big checks. (The Hill, Washington Times)

RELEVANT BILLS INTRODUCED:

  • H.R. 1654. To improve the accuracy and transparency of the Federal budget process.
  • H.R. 1628. To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for reporting and disclosure by State and Local public employee retirement pension plans.
  • H.Res.164. Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 624) to provide for the sharing of certain cyber threat intelligence and cyber threat information between the intelligence community and cybersecurity entities, and for other purposes.

HAPPENING THIS WEEK 4/22 – 4/26:

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