National News The 29 lawmakers tasked with solving the most recent budget issues held their first hearing yesterday. This meeting... View Article
Continue readingBusiness groups back establishment pick over Tea Party candidate in AL special
In the Alabama special election clash between Tea Party and establishment Republican candidates, the US Chamber of Commerce is putting its money where its mouth is. The business group -- and political juggernaut -- made waves when it announced it would support longtime state legislator Bradley Byrne over Tea Party-favorite Dean Young. The financial reports from the Byrne campaign show just how much the financial backing of major special interest groups like the U.S. Chamber can tilt the playing field in one candidate's favor.
Continue readingFirst Lady enlists muppets, corporate interests in food fight
When First Lady Michelle Obama makes an announcement today about marketing healthier foods to children, she'll be accompanied by the popular Sesame Street characters Elmo and Rosita--and the less well known, albeit more powerful, representatives of the Produce Marketing Association, a trade group, and Partnership for a Healthier America, a nonprofit founded by Obama herself, which has strong corporate support.
The announcement comes on the heels of an industry summit and major speech Obama gave in late September, in which the first lady made her strongest statement in recent years about advertising practices aimed at children. "You know that ...
Continue readingLatest round of Obama bundlers claim ambassador posts
At a meeting Thursday, tucked between a resolution condemning the recent terrorist attacks in Kenya and a panel on the ongoing civil war in Syria, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will vote on the confirmation of 25 prospective diplomatic appointees, a number of them wealthy supporters of President Barack Obama.
Continue readingToday in #OpenGov 10/30/2013
National News There’s a lot for the White House to like in a new study from McKinsey & Co., notably... View Article
Continue readingOakland’s Public Participation Route to Open Data Legislation
Steve Spiker and Eddie Tejeda (open data policy organizers) sharing OpenOakland’s work at East Bay Mini Maker Faire.
Oakland passed an open data law earlier this month (October 15, 2013) that was generated by the people and for the people. Open Oakland captain Steve Spiker (Spike) gathered the Open Oakland and broader open government community to draft and chat the best open data policy for Oakland. Spike and Open Oakland, in addition to garnering support for the open data policy, cultivated the policy from start to finish through drafting, public comments, a call to experts, and [teleconferenced] public meetings. Open Oakland serves as an excellent example of the community's role in generating open data policy, and their public input process is an exemplar route to incorporating public perspectives into policy. The Sunlight Foundation's Guideline to incorporating public perspective into policy implementation reads as follows:
Implementing the details of an open data policy will benefit from public participation. Open data policies not only have effects government-wide, which will require consideration, but also have consequences for a variety of stakeholder groups outside of the government. Allowing these groups to participate in the decision-making process (and make real contributions) can have great benefits for policy creation and execution. Stakeholders and experts can bring to the table valuable new perspectives that highlight challenges or opportunities that might not otherwise be obvious. Formal mechanisms for collaboration can include hearings, draft proposals open for public comment and contribution, and online resources like wikis and email lists.Below we have outlined Oakland's public input process and how it is part of a growing trend to openly include community perspective, desires, and concerns into open data policy. Continue reading
A Roadmap for Releasing Municipal Campaign Finance Data
We've created a Municipal Campaign Finance Data Guidebook to help local policymakers and advocates create stronger disclosure around this crucial information.
Continue readingReintroducing OpenCongress: Now From The Sunlight Foundation
OpenCongress, the site that enables anyone to follow and explore the activities of Congress, is now proudly operated by the Sunlight Foundation. The Participatory Politics Foundation originally launched OpenCongress in 2007 and built it into a leading comprehensive, nonpartisan source for legislative information used by millions. Today, the Sunlight Foundation unveils the next stage for the project with refreshed code and a continuing commitment to build on the strong core functionality.
Continue readingSEC Poised to Improve Political Spending Transparency
The government shutdown. Single digit congressional approval ratings. Polarization and dysfunction. Not all that ails our democracy can be blamed on the Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case, but $1.2 billion in spending by outside groups—at least $300 million of that from undisclosed donors—doesn’t help create a working democracy.
There is no shortage of possible solutions—from fixing a broken FEC and changing IRS rules, to public funding of elections and a Constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United, but in the short term, the most necessary and promising solutions come in the form of more transparency of money in politics.
And it just so happens that there is some traction developing for one transparency measure.
Sunlight Teaming Up With the Open Knowledge Foundation to Create New Lobbying Transparency Working Group
The Sunlight Foundation and the Open Knowledge Foundation are teaming up to convene a new global group on lobbying transparency. We want... View Article
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