Revolving door safeguards are meant to ensure that policymakers are acting in their constituents' best interests — not their future employers'. But legislation to support this idea has floundered recently.
Continue readingSunshine and shadows: Statehouses tackle open records laws in 2015
The 2016 state legislative sessions have already witnessed a host of important actions, with legislators across the country considering measures to increase and decrease governmental transparency.
Continue readingOfficials in Ferguson have set up barriers to information about the Michael Brown case
Open records requesters are being charged hefty fees in Missouri to get their hands on records that could reveal more about how the local and state government operated during one of their most sensitive times.
Continue readingBringing police secrecy to light in Ferguson
The Ferguson, Missouri shooting reflected three categories where the authorities utterly failed in their duty to be transparent. Unfortunately, they reflect broader problems across America.
Continue readingCampaign intelligence: Anti-establishment groups’ final push
As primary season begins to wind down, outside conservative groups are still pouring money into TV ads and mailers, trying to score a few upsets against longtime incumbents.
Continue readingMissouri just the latest state to test limits of gun law nullification
One day after Colorado voters ousted two state senators over their support for gun control, Missouri lawmakers are debating whether to try to make federal gun control measures illegal in their state. In a special legislative session opening today, opponents of gun control in the Show-Me State are vowing to override Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's veto of a bill that would effectively nullify federal gun control measures.
The law would make it illegal for state employee to enforce them. Nixon (pictured right) called it unconstitutional when he vetoed the measure in July.
As Sunlight first reported in March, the ...
Continue readingOpenGov Voices: Come to CityCamp Kansas City
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the guest blogger and those providing comments are theirs alone and do not reflect the opinions of the Sunlight
Foundation or any employee thereof. Sunlight Foundation is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information within the guest blog.
Jase Wilson is Co-founder & CEO at Neighbor.ly -- a civic crowd funding platform.
On April 20, CityCamp returns to Kansas City for its second year. Based on the popular series created by Code for America alumnus Kevin Curry and inspired by the Sunlight Foundation’s own TransparencyCamp, CityCampKC is a day long unconference at the nexus of community, government and technology in Kansas City.
Last year’s event focused on open source and open data, helping to drive communication and innovation within local government in the Kansas City region. Things will be a bit different than last year, but trust us, that’s a good thing! Instead of a predefined speaker list, sessions will be programmed by attendees and will emphasize the increasing diversity in government, government technology and civic engagement. Specifically, trying to balance gender, race and age cohorts involved in the conversations that shape the city. This year, discussion topics will be chosen the morning of the event and can be suggested by anyone!
Passionate about something in the KC community? Come share it and inspire others to get excited too!
Continue readingTodd Akin on the November ballot: Will he have any serious money?
This post has been updated.
Todd Akin is resolute about staying in his race for Missouri's Senate seat, but the question is how much money he'll have for the contest.
Ignoring calls from leaders of his own party to abandon the contest -- one the GOP had been counting on winning in its quest to take over the Senate -- after airing his controversial theories about "legitimate rape" and female biology in an interview last month, the Republican congressman on Tuesday evening let the last deadline pass for getting off the ballot.
Even though the GOP establishment is shunning their ...
Continue readingMissouri primary: McCaskill and Democrats helped Republican Todd Akin to Senate nomination
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Democratic outside groups, pouring in over $1 million during Missouri's Republican Senate primary, got the guy they wanted: Rep. Todd Akin, who Tuesday upset two other Republicans to take the GOP nomination.
Recent polls have shown McCaskill trailing all three Republicans in head-to-head matchups, but Akin has the smallest edge. She is betting voters will see the six-term congressman -- who gave "thanks to God our creator" in his victory speech and has been endorsed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, an evangelical Christian -- as too conservative.
Late in the primary, McCaskill hit TV and ...
Continue readingStates of Transparency: Missouri
The Open Government
Directive encouraged states to put valuable government data online. In this series we're reviewing each state's efforts in this direction.
This week: Missouri
Website: www.mapyourtaxes.mo.gov
Residents of Missouri who want a glimpse at their state's official checkbook have a great resource in the so-called Missouri Accountability Portal (MAP). It's lacking one important tool, however: an accounting of state revenues. Online since 2005, the site boasts real-time updates, full downloadability and checkbook-level details. While it could benefit from a couple of improvements -- such as a list of the dates purchases were ...
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