Today in #OpenGov 10/10/2013

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National News

  • A Louisiana state Public Service Commissioner, and former member of the House, is tapping the utility industry that he regulates as he attempts to return to Washington. Former Rep. Clyde Holloway (R) counts a large number of utility related donors among his bankroll. (Roll Call)
  • The Democratic and Republican National Committees are probably concentrating pretty hard to avoid drooling over news reports coming out of the Supreme Court as it hears arguments in McCutcheon v FEC. If the court strikes down aggregate limits on political giving to federal candidates and committees, which many expect it will, the DNC and RNC could stand to gain back some of the fundraising clout that they lost after the Citizens United decision opened the floodgates of dark money. (POLITICO)

International News

  • Democratic systems thrive when voters can see what their elected representatives are doing. This statement suggests that parliamentary broadcasting should be a priority, which in many countries may be true. (UN University)
  • Singapore’s National Environment Agency has an electrifying new app. Lightning@SG aims to provide users with a real time look at lightning strikes on the island nation. The data is pulled from the NEA’s four lightning detection sensors.(Future Gov)

State and Local News

  • Vermont is the latest state to test the open data slopes. After a recent Open Data Summit, the state is launching a pilot project aimed at compiling and opening data from its local governments. (CivSource)
  • It is taking states and local governments almost a year to release audited financial statements. Regulators are looking to them to speed up the process as they try to help municipal bond investors get timely information. (Reuters)
  • A group of campaign and government ethics regulators from across the country are coming together to launch a new website that provides information about campaign disclosure. The States Unified Network (SUN) Center will display legislation, news, enforcement cases, and more from states aas diverse as New York, California, Idaho, Montana, and Washington. (Lobby Comply)

Events Tomorrow

  • Does Anticorruption Work? Latvia’s ExperienceGeorge Mason University School of Public Policy. Fri. 10/11. 12:00 – 1:30 pm. GMU, Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center, Founders Hall, Room 113, 3351 Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22201.

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