NEWS ROUNDUP:
Government
- Waiting for changes at FEC: Five of the six members of the Federal Election Commission are serving on expired terms. Some are looking to President Barack Obama to fill those seats with people who might be inclined to reform campaign finance. The commissioners with expired terms can be replaced any time. (Public Integrity)
- Federal agencies could be overly optimistic on IT: Some federal agencies may be presenting an overly optimistic picture of their IT progress, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report. (Information Week)
2Day in #OpenGov 11/20/12
NEWS ROUNDUP:
Government
- Clarification coming on digital copying rights: U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) might be working on a bill to clarify digital copying rights after the U.S. Copyright Office posed questions about whether fair use is legal. Issa suggested language could be written to help clearly define fair use. (Roll Call)
- RSC pulls report on copyright law: The Republican Study Committee posted a paper last week proposing reforms to copyright law and suggesting current law gives content producers a monopoly. When the paper was pulled down less than one day later, copyright reform advocates questioned the cause for the sudden change. (The Hill)
2Day in #OpenGov 11/19/12
NEWS ROUNDUP:
Government
- Report calls for stronger IT oversight: Stronger oversight is needed on the $54 million spent by federal agencies for oversight and maintenance of IT, according to new report from the Government Accountability Office. (FedScoop)
- How to stop dark money: Is the influx of dark money in elections thanks to the Citizens United decision, or is it due to failures of the Federal Elections Commission? Trevor Potter, a former FEC commissioner and chairman, argues the FEC deserves the blame. (Washington Post, opinion)
- Super PAC finds its way into the dictionary: The term "super PAC" is being added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. (Politico)
2Day in #OpenGov 11/16/12
NEWS ROUNDUP:
Government
- House member drops amendment to bring back earmarks: A House Republican dropped his amendment to bring back earmarks after Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) voiced opposition. Republicans adopted a ban on earmarks in 2010. (The Hill)
- State governments challenge dark money: The election is over, but several states challenged or are continuing to battle groups that tried to influence elections and hide the sources of their money. States are limited in terms of what they can do about practices by national groups, however. (Pew States)
Social Media and Public Comments in Rulemaking
Social media is playing an increasing role in how the government interacts with citizens. Just take a look at the number of comments members of Congress receive via platforms like Twitter or Facebook, or look to the amount of interaction in the "Ask Me Anything" discussion President Barack Obama held on Reddit. How can social media can be used to facilitate public comment in the rulemaking process? An ongoing project to discover its pros and cons is being run by the Administrative Conference of the United States' (ACUS) Committee on Rulemaking. The group, along with consultant Michael Herz, is looking into legal and policy challenges to using social media in rulemaking, with the aim of identifying ways to resolve some of those obstacles. Another goal is to encourage "appropriate and innovative ways to use social media to facilitate broader, more meaningful public participation in rulemaking activities."
Continue reading2Day in #OpenGov 11/15/12
NEWS ROUNDUP:
Government
- Senate approves expanded whistleblower protections: The Senate unanimously approved the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA) this week, expanding protections for federal employees who expose government wrongdoing. The bill now goes to President Barack Obama's desk for his signature. (Washington Post)
- Congressional Research Service and Congress have complex relationship: The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) has long faced pointed questions from Congress about its reports. Members of Congress tend to expect certain results when they request CRS analysts to compile research. (Roll Call)
Whistleblower Protection Act goes to President’s desk
The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA) was unanimously approved by the Senate on Tuesday, marking a positive leap forward for federal employees... View Article
Continue reading2Day in #OpenGov 11/14/12
NEWS ROUNDUP:
Government
- Government surveillance of citizens' online activity rising: The U.S. government's surveillance of citizens' online activity is on the rise, according to statistics released recently from Google. The government made more than 8,000 requests for user data in the first half of 2012, which is up from less than 6,000 requests in the same period last year. (The Hill)
- Bipartisan coalition proposes campaign finance reform: A group of Democrats and Republicans has come together to propose the American Anti-Corruption Act, which would reform the campaign finance system, lobbying, and advocacy efforts. The group also announced it will target lawmakers who oppose the proposal, actively working to unseat people from either party who do not support the reforms. (Roll Call)
2Day in #OpenGov 11/13/12
NEWS ROUNDUP:
Government
- Political reform on the agenda? Making voting easier and reforming the campaign finance system by challenging or invalidating the Citizens United decision could be on President Barack Obama's second-term agenda. He has suggested in the past that he believes shining a light on super PACs would be a good idea. (Washington Post)
- Texans ask for White House response on secession: More than 27,000 Texans have signed a petition asking to secede from the United States. The White House has said it will respond to any petitions that receive more than 25,000 signatures on its "We the People" website. (The Hill)
- Analyzing federal technology investments: The federal government is taking steps to measure the effectiveness of investments in technology. The Office of Management and Budget will also be tracking innovative uses of technology in the 2014 fiscal year. (FCW)
2Day in #OpenGov 11/9/12
NEWS ROUNDUP:
Government
- Fill the Office of Congressional Ethics: There are vacant seats in the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), and the panel will not be able to function unless those seats are filled. It will be up to the Speaker and Minority Leader to fill the positions. (Roll Call, opinion)
- Was super PAC money counterproductive? Money spent by conservative-leaning super PACs to support Mitt Romney in the presidential race could have actually hurt the candidate, some are arguing. Their theory is that Romney didn't have enough of a chance to move from the far-left to being more moderate between the primary and general. (NPR)
- Cat takes third place: A Maine Coon cat named Hank appeared to place third in a Virginia Senate race, bringing in more than 5,000 votes. The mission of Hank's campaign was to raise awareness about the intense partisanship of political campaigns. (Roll Call)
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