Most states keep their legal code in the open, but a few hold-outs have asserted a copyright over that material.... View Article
Continue readingCISPA is Still Terrible for Transparency
Last year we called the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), H.R. 3523 in the 112th Congress, “terrible on... View Article
Continue readingThe Landscape of Municipal Lobbying Data
While the word “lobbyist” might evoke images of power brokers in Washington, D.C., lobbyists are also influential at the local... View Article
Continue readingMorozov on Sunlight
While Sunlight has generally not been a target of Evgeny Morozov‘s criticisms, I was amused a few days ago to... View Article
Continue reading2Day in #OpenGov 4/4/2013
NEWS ROUNDUP:
- Los Angeles' long awaited 311 app arrived on April 1. The free mobile app allows Los Angelenos to submit service requests, locate city services, and pay bills. (Gov Tech)
- Air shows, which provide summer time entertainment around the country, were hit hard by the sequester. Now, a trade group representing the shows is fighting back with some lobbyist firepower. The International Council of Air Shows, inc. recently hired Van Scoyoc Associates to work on its behalf, the first time the organization has ever contracted lobbyists. (Public Integrity)
- Iceland's innovative crowd-sourced constitution may be in its final days. Last fall, the document was sent to Iceland's parliament for review, but that parliament was dissolved last week in preparation for new elections on April 27. The constitution is scheduled for a referendum after April's elections, but it faces a relatively high bar for passage. (Tech President)
- President Obama took a stroll down Billionaires Row last night to raise money for the DCCC. He swung by the homes of billionaires Tom Steyer and Ann and Gordon Getty for high dollar fundraisers expected to pull in several million dollars. (POLITICO)
- Mary Schapiro and Lanny Bruer, respectively the outgoing heads of the SEC and DOJ's criminal division, failed to win major civil or criminal actions against any Wall Street executives involved in the financial collapse. Both are now leaving the administration to take jobs at firms that rely on Wall Street for much of their income. (National Journal)
Super PACs next for Sanford and Colbert Busch?
With the race for a special House election in South Carolina now set, and polls showing it could be close, the outcome may partly hinge on who has the most money.
Continue readingThe STOCK Act and Security through Obscurity
Congress has been delaying implementation of the STOCK Act, largely out of fear over what could happen if disclosures go online. A new report from the National Academy of Public Administration says those fears are well-founded. But its reasoning is flawed, and its recommendations -- which amount to security through obscurity -- are badly wrong-headed. If there are problems with the disclosures mandated by STOCK, let's fix them. Ignoring them and hoping that obscurity will prevent bad things from happening is not only short-sighted, it's dangerous.
Continue readingIs the U.S. Backtracking on Political Finance Transparency as Others Move Forward?
I recently returned from Croatia, where I was invited to speak about what works and what doesn’t in terms disclosure... View Article
Continue readingStart your engines: GOP makes first 2014 ad buys against Democratic House members
(Updated: 2:25 p.m.)
The National Republican Congressional Committee is making its first ad buy of the 2014 season with a blitz against seven vulnerable House Democrats.
Sunlight's Ad Hawk, which allows mobile phone users identify the sources of political advertising, picked up new spots aimed at the incumbents overnight. The early ads underscore the already-intensifying battle for the House, which President Barack Obama has vowed to put back in Democratic control. The president is travelling to the West Coast today for a series of fundraisers benefiting the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Read the details on Political Party ...
Continue reading2Day in #OpenGov 4/3/2013
NEWS ROUNDUP:
- Lobbying law loopholes may have allowed many individuals who were registered to lobby in 2011 to deregister in subsequent years while still working for the same companies, and possibly continuing to lobby. There are plenty of reasons why a lobbyist would want to deregister ranging from fear of stigma to the desire to land an administration job. (Roll Call)
- Mary Schapiro, the former head of the SEC, has found her way through the revolving door and into a job with Promontory Financial Group. The private consulting firm has a long list of former regulators on its roster. (POGO)
- Five New York state politicians were arrested yesterday in a bizarre case of attempted bribery. State Senator Malcolm Smith, a Democrat, was arrested for allegedly conspiring to bribe Republican county chairmen to support a plan that would have Smith run for Mayor on the Republican ticket. Unfortunately for Smith and his alleged conspirators, the wealthy real estate developer bankrolling the plan was really an undercover FBI agent. (NPR, National Journal)
- According to a new government report on Open Government Partnership compliance the U.S. acted on 24 of it's 26 initial commitments. One of the discarded commitments was ExpertNet, a government wide online community that would have allowed volunteer experts to give consultations. (Fierce Government)
- President Obama has taken a different, and in some ways much more limited approach, to dealing with the press than previous presidents. While he holds more formal press conferences and one-on-one interviews, he rarely faces the press in uncontrollable situations. (Huffington Post)
- Opinion: The Justice Department should do a better job of making its Office of Legal Counsel opinions publicly available. They currently withhold significant numbers of the documents and are fighting the Electronic Frontier Foundation over a request by the EFF for access to an OLC opinion on the FBI's authority to surveil American's without a warrant. (Washington Post)
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