It's Friday, which means this is your last chance this week to read about transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. News Roundup:
Technology
- The British parliament voted down a proposal to ban the use of Twitter while in the House of Commons. Opponents of the legislation rely on Twitter to stay up to date and communicate with their constituents. (AP/Yahoo)
- Code for America has announced their city and fellow selections for 2012. The program brings together local governments and developers to collaborate on innovative IT projects. (Government Technology)
- YouTown, a mobile app aimed at connecting citizens with their local governments, is now available for iPhone and Android devices. (govfresh)
- The USAjobs relaunch is continuing to struggle. The site is still experiencing major issues, but signs of hope are beginning to emerge. (Federal Computer Week)
Campaign Finance
- President Obama raised more than $40 million for his reelection campaign in the third quarter, outstripping the entire Republican field. But, it remains to be seen how long this advantage will hold, or how much effect it will have. (Washington Post)
- Michelle Bachmann announced that she received donations from 92,000 individuals last quarter, but refused to cite a specific fundraising total. The FEC will release final numbers this weekend. (National Journal)
Government
- The Iowa government has started posting a list of open records requests online. The new system is intended to strengthen government transparency. (Government Technology)
- A former Immigration and Customs Enforcement employee pleaded guilty to stealing at least $70,000 in a receipt forging and kickbacks scheme. The investigation is ongoing, involves at least 2 more ICE employees, and reaches as far up as the agency's former acting intelligence chief. (Washington Post)
- The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee passed legislation to make federal advisory committees more transparent. The "Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments of 2011" now awaits action by the full House. (POGO)
2Day in #OpenGov 10/13/2011
Here is Thursday's look at the transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. News Roundup:
Super Committee
- The Super Committee has been reluctant to share information with the public. But, that hasn't stopped some people close to the committee from speaking about it off the record. (Politico)
- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has released deficit-cutting ideas that Democratic committee ranking members will be delivering to the Super Committee tomorrow. She also called on the committee to hold open hearings on previous deficit plans including the Simpson-Bowles, Rivlin-Domenici, and "Gang of Six" proposals. (National Journal)
Campaign Finance
- American Crossroads, a major conservative Super PAC, is seeking permission to feature Federal candidates and officeholders in their ads. The PAC claims a precedent has already been set by "issue ads" featuring Senator Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) that the Democratic party has been running. (Washington Post)
- Former Senator Norm Coleman will be leading a new Super PAC dedicated to electing Republican candidates to the House of Representatives. The Congressional Leadership Fund is designed to counter the efforts of the Democratic House Majority PAC. (Politico)
Government
- Darrell Issa stated, at a Transparency Caucus event, that he would move whistleblower protection legislation before the end of the year. The proposal he discussed would mirror a plan by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and aim to provide protections for members of the intelligence community. (POGO)
- The relaunch of USAjobs.gov that we mentioned yesterday appears to be off to a shaky start. The program's Facebook page has been inundated with complaints. (Federal Computer Week)
State and Local
- Open government data is making it easier to search for vacant and abandoned buildings in the Chicago area. ChicagoBuildings.org uses 311 reports to create a searchable map of properties. (Gov 2.0)
- The Cook County, Illinois government is banking on a new open data website to transform their image as a hive of corruption and villainy. (Government Technology)
2Day in #OpenGov 10/12/2011
Here is Wednesday's look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. News Roundup:
Government
- POGO has filed FOIA and Mandatory Declassification Review requests for the secret memo that the US government issued to justify killing radical cleric, and US citizen, Anwar al-Awlaki. (POGO)
- HHS is planning to follow in NOAA's footsteps as it attempts to lower health care costs. They plan to release massive amounts of health care data in an attempt to spur private sector innovation. (Nextgov)
Technology
- The House of Representatives has released a tablet-ready website for watching live, streaming video of floor proceedings. The site combines video from the floor with links to bill text and information on votes. Try it for yourself at houselive.gov (techPresident)
- OPM has spent the past 18 months overhauling USAjobs.gov, the Federal government's largest job application resource. The new version is expected to be fully functional today. (Fierce Government)
- Open Town Hall aims to provide governments with a place to host online comment forums that have the same level of decorum and discourse as public meetings. The platform is currently used by more than 25 agencies and elected officials. (govfresh)
Lobbying
- As the dust settles after the collapse of Solyndra energy companies and stakeholders are rushing to flex their lobbying muscle. More than 40 groups have hired lobbyists to work on energy issues since the beginning of August. (Roll Call)
- A 75 member coalition has come together to push for reform that would give shareholders a larger voice in corporate political spending decision. They have their sights set on reforms at the SEC, as well as federal and state legislation. (Roll Call)
2Day in #OpenGov 10/11/2011
Here is Tuesday's look at the abbreviated week's transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. News Roundup:
Super Committee
- Republicans and Democrats have found a rare issue to agree on; Super Committee transparency. Members of both parties are concerned that the committee has conducted too much of its business in secret. The opaque process may make it difficult for congress and the public to accept the panel's recommendations. (New York Times)
Campaign Finance
- President Obama has received more money from Wall Street than any other politician over the past 20 years. The Daily Caller cites the Sunlight Foundation in their report. (Yahoo/Daily Caller)
- Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chairwoman of the DNC, no longer accepts campaign donations from federal lobbyists and PACs. However, her old leadership PAC is still raising funds from those sources. (Politico)
- The New Mexico Republican party has filed a law suit alleging that a state law limiting contributions, to or by, political parties to $5,000 is unconstitutional. (LobbyComply)
Government
- The Obama administration issued a secret legal memo that paved the way for the killing of radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. Reportedly, the memo stated that killing al-Awlaki would be lawful if it was not feasible to take him alive. (New York Times)
- The Federal government forced Google and Sonic, an internet provider, to reveal data with a secret court order. The order was part of an effort to gain information from the email of WikiLeaks volunteer Jacob Appelbaum. (Politico)
State and Local
- Dayton, Ohio is turning to new technology in an effort to reward residents for recycling. Since the program's inception last month, recycling rates are up 40%. (govtech)
- New York City's Chief Digital Officer Rachel Sterne highlighted the city's open government efforts in a presentation to the Strata conference. (govfresh)
- Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Hearings to examine labor-management forums in the Federal government. SD-342. Tues. 10/11, 2:30 pm. Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia.
- Budget. Hearings to examine improving the congressional budget process. SD-608. Wed. 10/12, 9:30 am. Full committee hearing.
- Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Hearings to examine ten years after 9/11, focusing on a status report on information sharing. SD-342. Wed. 10/12, 10:30 am. Full committee hearing.
House
- Foreign Affairs. Markup on H.R. 2829: To promote transparency, accountability, and reform within the United Nations system, and for other purposes. 2172 RHOB. Thurs. 10/13, 12:00 pm.
- House Administration. Federal Election Commission: Reviewing policies, processes, and procedures. 1310 LHOB. Thurs. 10/13, 3:00 pm. Subcommittee on Elections.
2Day in #OpenGov 10/6/2011
Here is Thursday's look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. News Roundup:
Super Committee
- Foreign nations are getting in on the race to influence members of the Super Committee. Each member of the committee has met with at least one foreign lobbyist in the past year. They have also received more than $50,000 in contributions directly from foreign lobbyists this cycle. (POGO)
Campaign Finance
- It appears likely that Super PACs will not have to disclose the details of their fundraising until well after the first votes have been cast to decide the Republican nominee . The Iowa Caucuses are expected to take place in the dawning days of 2012, and at least 4 additional contests will be held before the January 31st filing deadline. (Washington Post)
- A new FEC ruling will make it easier for PACs to combine the functions of traditional and Super PACs. The ruling allows these hybrid PACs to raise unlimited funds for independent expenditures, provided they store that money in a separate bank account from the money they raise for direct donations to candidates. (Roll Call)
- About one Super PAC has been formed every day since late September, easily outpacing numbers for the 2010 election cycle. The PACs are expected to spend significantly more than in 2010 as well. (Politico)
Government and Ethics
- A group of House Democrats are calling for a Congressional investigation into ethics and conflict-of-interest questions that have been floating around Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The issues came to light after Justice Thomas filed financial disclosure papers, reporting more than $1.5 million in previously undisclosed income that his wife has earned since 1997. (Politico)
- Sunlight Labs is getting some love for Influence Explorer. The site is making it easier to search for public comments on proposed regulations posted on regulations.gov. (Federal Computer Week)
Lobbying
- OMB released new guidelines today that will preclude registered lobbyists from being appointed to sit on federal boards and commissions. Lobbyists have come out against the decision, claiming it will limit access to their expertise. (Roll Call)
- K Street is losing a major funding stream, as trade deals with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea are expected to be ratified by Congress soon. The three countries have spent at least $15 million on lobbying, legal, and PR fees related to the Free Trade Agreements since 2006. (The Hill)
2Day in #OpenGov 10/5/2011
Here is Wednesday's look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. News Roundup:
Campaign Finance
- Third quarter fundraising reports are due soon, and early numbers are starting to leak. Rick Perry has exceeded predictions and raised around $17 million for the quarter, nearly matching Mitt Romney's second quarter take. (National Journal)
- Mitt Romney, who has kept expectations low for his third quarter fundraising haul, has some very strong supporters. At least 50 donors, who have already contributed the maximum allowed amount to his presidential campaign, have also given princely sums to the Super PAC fighting for his election. (Yahoo/AP)
- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor might soon get some super support of his own. Reports suggest that Cantor's deputy chief of staff is departing to start a Super PAC dedicated to raising the Congressman's national profile in advance of a possible Vice Presidential run. (National Journal)
Revolving Door
- The government relations and public affairs firm Cornerstone Government Affairs LLC is opening new offices in Houston, Texas and Jackson, Mississippi. Representative John Culberson's (R-TX) chief of staff, Tony Essalih, has been hired to run the Houston office. (National Journal)
- Susan Collins (R-ME) will see Molly Wilkinson, a senior member of her staff, move to Regions Bank. Wilkinson will serve as a senior vice president of government affairs for the bank. (Federal Computer Week)
- The Glover Park Group is losing Aoife McCarthy, a director, to government service. She will join the Corporation for National and Community Service as its press secretary. (National Journal)
Government
- The White House's online petition site, We The People, has proved so popular in its first week that the administration has quadrupled the number of signatures required for a petition to qualify for a response. The site is considered part of the Obama administration's transparency efforts. (Nextgov)
State and Local
- More than 1 million people have signed up for digital updates from the Indiana state government. The program, launched in 2008, sends out monthly updates via email and text messaging services. (GovTech)
- A California state senator is preparing to propose legislation that would expand the number of people subject to the state's revolving door provision. Members of the public appointed to serve on boards would have to wait twelve months after terminating their service before lobbying former colleagues. (Lobby Comply)
2Day in #OpenGov 10/4/2011
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:
Government
- The Senate is battling over cuts to the GAO that might force the agency to downsize its workforce. Opponents argue that cuts will hinder the GAO's ability to identify waste, fraud, and abuse in Federal spending. (ExecutiveGov)
- After a 10 year process, the National Archives and Records Administration has completed development of their Electronic Records Archives. The ERA was designed to collect and archive electronic records created by Federal agencies. IBM has won a contract to operate and maintain the system. (Federal Computer Week)
Revolving Door
- One of John Kerry's (D-MA) top foreign policy aides, Frank Lowenstein, has stepped down to join the Podesta Group. He will work primarily with international clients, reflecting the Podesta Group's recent growth in foreign markets. (New York Times)
- A former staffer to House Speaker John Boehner, Jay Cranford, is leaving the House to become a name partner at boutique lobbying firm Clark Lytle Geduldig & Cranford. The firm is primarily known for its financial services work. Cranford is expected to focus on expanding their energy and technology practice. (National Journal)
State and Local
- Legislators rate lobbyists as an important source of information, although they prefer to look to their legislative leaders, staff, and colleagues first, according to data compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures. (Lobby Comply and NCSL)
- Alaskan lobbyists will only be able to donate to candidates that represent them under new redistricting alignments, according to a decision by the Alaskan Public Offices Commission. This will prevent lobbyists whose districts are shifting from donating in multiple races. (Lobby Comply)
2Day in #OpenGov 10/3/2011
Here is Monday's look at the week's transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. News Roundup:
Super Committee
- The Super Committee has grown increasingly opaque, refusing to share details of their meetings with the press and public. Lobbyists, however, are being kept in the loop by aides to committee members. (Politico)
Government
- The Congressional Budget Office has released a cost estimate for the DATA act. According to the report, the act would cost $575 million over five years to implement. (Federal Computer Week)
- One of the FEC's most respected experts, Bob Biersack, has retired after 30 years with the commission. Biersack has served in a variety of positions during his tenure, but is known as the FEC's unofficial data guru and was instrumental in creating the agency's electronic filing system. (Roll Call)
- A new poll shows that most Americans trust their local governments to handle local issues, a marked contrast with respondents low confidence in the Federal government. (Politico)
- Members of the whistleblower community gathered last week for the 2011 Washington Whistleblower Assembly. The meeting focused on ways to protect and increase whistleblower protections. To learn more about the current discussion surrounding whistleblowing take a look at our ACT event on the subject (POGO)
2Day in #OpenGov 9/30/2011
Look forward to the weekend with Friday's transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. News Roundup:
Access to Information
- The Department of Homeland Security doesn't want you to communicate with their communications staff. They released extensive records in response to a FOIA request, but redacted work phone numbers and email addresses for all communications contacts. Sunlight's Gabriela Schneider blogged about a similar issue yesterday. (Federal Times)
Government and Ethics
- A bipartisan group of Senators is decrying proposed cuts to the GAO's budget. They fear that the cuts will hamper the agency's ability to seek out waste and abuse in the Federal government. (The Hill)
- A group of 20 House Democrats has called for an inquiry into allegations that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas violated ethics rules by failing to report his wife's income. (Roll Call)
State and Local
- A group in New Orleans is crowdsourcing ideas to improve their city with Neighborland, a new website. They hope to spark discussion and inspire locals to push their ideas forward. (Lobby Comply)
2Day in #OpenGov 9/29/2011
Here is Thursday's look at the week's transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. News Roundup:
Campaign Finance
- Republican Presidential candidates are trying to lower expectations for reporting their third quarter fundraising totals to the FEC in advance of the October 15 deadline. (Washington Post)
- Super PACs supporting presidential candidates don't appear to be struggling. A PAC backing Mitt Romney raised $20 million between January and June, and a new PAC supporting Rick Perry hopes to spend more than $50 million to elect the Texas Governor. (National Journal)
- Campaign watchdogs have asked the IRS to investigate the tax-exempt status of 4 politically engaged groups connected to Super PACs. They claim that the groups use their status to avoid disclosing the identities of major political donors. (National Journal)
E-Gov
- Experts, including the Sunlight Foundation's Daniel Schuman, agree that it is difficult to measure the performance of E-Gov programs using regular metrics. However, they disagree on what this should mean for E-Gov funding levels, which are slated to be cut drastically. (Federal Computer Week)
State and Local
- The San Bernardino County, CA Board of Supervisors has approved a measure to limit donations to local campaigns. (Lobby Comply)
- The National Association of Government Webmasters has singled out three municipal websites for their high level of achievement in web design and development. (govfresh)
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