For the last two years, we’ve invited a number of scholars, advocates, journalists, policymakers, developers, and others from all over... View Article
Continue readingKick-starting the 113th Congress: Ideas Congress can use
Looking for ideas to make government more transparent and accountable? Join the The Advisory Committee on Transparency on January 28th for... View Article
Continue readingWho are the gun lobbyists?
As Congress grapples with the measures the White House today proposed to combat gun violence--including a ban on assault weapons, strengthing background check laws, and enhancing mental health services--there will be dozens of gun rights lobbyists at the ready, most of them paid by the National Rifle Association. Many have been through Washington's revolving door.
In 2012, gun rights groups hired ten outside lobbying firms to help bolster their reach, according to Influence Explorer. Over all, 42 lobbyists, of whom at least more than half are revolvers, including one former member of Congress, helped spread gun rights' groups message ...
Continue readingGoogle.org Awards New Grant to Sunlight
We’re excited to share the news that Google.org just announced a $2.1 million grant for Sunlight to expand our mission... View Article
Continue readingOn eve of big legislative battle, is gun lobby targeting kids?
If, as the old newsroom truism holds, it takes three to make a trend, then the National Rifle Association's much talked-about video, which juxtaposes a mention of President Barack Obama's daughters against a backdrop of menacing images of high-powered guns and people toting them, appears to be the latest manifestation of a bizarre new way that the gun lobby is choosing to engage its critics: by targeting their children.
School-age progeny of America's first families have generally been verboten topics in press coverage or political debate because of their age, vulnerability and the fact that -- unlike their ...
Continue reading2Day in #OpenGov 1/16/2012
NEWS ROUNDUP:
- US CIO Steven VanRoekel announced that the Digital Government Strategy is starting to lead to economic benefits, with numerous companies being formed thanks to the federal data that is being released as part of the plan.(FedScoop)
- The numerous fiscal conflicts likely to take place during the nascent days of the 113th Congress bode well for the lobbying industry. A wide range of sectors will be looking to their lobbyists to get good deals out of the upcoming debates.(Roll Call)
- Republicans and Democrats hold yearly retreats outside of Washington to formulate policy and build relationships. How they pay for these retreats says a lot about their political differences, with the GOP turning to wealthy corporate donors and the Democrats relying on taxpayer money. (National Journal)
- Philadelphia's leaders reiterated their commitment to using innovative technology to engage their citizens by naming the city's first Director of Civic Technology. Tim Wisniewski, who previously worked on Philadelphia's 311 system, will focus on creating lasting applications and helping city departments meet their goals. (Gov Tech)
- The Justice Department is recommending that the U.S. join a federal whistleblower lawsuit originally filed by Lance Armstrong's former teammate Floyd Landis.(Wall Street Journal)
- A Virginia Delegate proposed a law that would add the correspondence and working papers of state legislative aids to a list of items exempt from the state FOIA. The bill has received sharp criticism from local transparency advocates. (Watchdog.org)
Sunlight Recommendations to Wyden/Murkowski Disclosure Proposal
Senators Wyden and Murkowski have offered a proposal to shine a light on dark money, and opened it up to... View Article
Continue reading2Day in #OpenGov 1/15/2013
NEWS ROUNDUP:
- Some major Washington trade groups are looking for new leadership and there is no shortage of recently retired members of Congress jockeying for the jobs. Groups that could look to former lawmakers to fulfill their needs include the American Gaming Association, the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, and the Fertilizer Institute. (The Hill)
- A new project aims to help the English-speaking world gain a deeper understanding of the conflict currently raging in Syria. Syria Deeply combines conflict mapping, analysis from correspondents on the ground, interviews with Syrians effected by the conflict, and more to provide a deeper look at the problem. (Tech President)
- If Senator John Kerry (D-MA) is confirmed as Secretary of State, and it is expected that he will be, the race to replace him is expected to attracted massive money, both from potential candidates and outside groups around the country. (Politico)
- Former Governor and GOP presidential hopeful John Huntsman and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), the newly named leaders of moderate group No Labels, pledged to be transparent about their organization's finances. The group is not legally required to disclose its contributors. (National Journal)
- Silicon Valley Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), an early opponent of SOPA, discussed the open internet, copyright reform, and other issues that may or may not come up in the 113th Congress. (ArsTechnica)
- Reform groups are citing President Obama's loose rules on inauguration donations as only the most recent sign that the President doesn't care about the issue of money in politics. (NPR)
NRA fights campaign finance reform, disclosure
On a March morning in 2002, the ink of President George W. Bush's signature on the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill hardly had a chance to dry before the attorneys for the National Rifle Association filed the paperwork for a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law.
In fact the NRA's lawyers were so quick on the draw that the group beat the law’s strongest congressional opponent, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to court. Because it filed first, the NRA had earned the naming rights to the high profile case. However, the NRA, which had backed McConnell, himself ...
Continue readingEight corporations donate to Obama’s inaugural so far
After lifting the lid on donations to his second inauguration and agreeing to accept corporate contributions, President Barack Obama only has eight corporate donors so far, according to an updated donor list posted on the inaugural committee's website over the weekend.
The two new corporate donors on the list: A subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the nation's biggest electric utilities and a major lobbying powerhouse, and United Therapeutics, a $1.5 billion Maryland pharamaceutical company seeking Federal Drug Administration approval for a drug treating a lung disorder.
The Atlanta-based Southern Company contributed $100,000 to the inaugural ...
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