Here is a Thursday's look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. News Roundup:
International
- WhatDoTheyKnow.com, a site dedicated to making it easier for people in the UK to make and track Freedom of Information requests, has been used to send 100,000 requests since February 2008. (MySociety)
- Weak whistleblower protection laws and pervasive threats of retribution keep many Latin Americans from reporting corruption. The recent Central American and Dominican Republic Forum for Transparency outlined reforms that could help the situation. (Transparency International)
Government
- Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) plans to introduce legislation to serve as an alternative to SOPA when the house comes back into session next week. The legislation will be a companion to a bill introduced in the Senate by Ron Wyden (D-OR). (National Journal)
- The Research Works Act, introduced in the House of Representatives, could limit public access to taxpayer-funded research and provide a set-back to open access to information. (Tech President)
Campaign Finance
- Super PACs and the candidates they support are not allowed to explicitly coordinate their activities. But, that doesn't stop them from watching, and parroting, each other's ads. (Washington Post)
- According to a new study, four times more employees at major companies claim to have witnessed illegal contributions to public officials this year than in 2009. (Roll Call $)
- Editorial: Congress should amend its ethics rules to require a "fundraising quiet period" during non election years. (Politico)
2Day in #OpenGov 1/11/2012
Here is a look at Wednesday's transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. News Roundup:
Government
- Three federal agencies are working together to create a web portal for FOIA requests. The portal will cost $1.3 million to implement and could save $200 million over five years if adopted government wide. (Fierce Government)
- A new site, SOPA Opera, allows users to easily visualize congressional support and opposition to SOPA and the PROTECT-IP acts. (Tech President)
- Reddit announced that they will impose a black out all day on January 18 to protest SOPA. (Yahoo/Digital Trends)
Lobbying
- Cecilia Munoz, a former lobbyist for the National Council of La Raza who received a waiver to join the Obama administration, was promoted to director of the Domestic Policy Council. (National Journal)
- The private equity industry has given more than $17 million to members of Congress since the start of 2007, with Democrats receiving more support than Republicans. (National Journal)
- A former senior FCC official is joining Jenner & Block's communications practice. John Flynn previously served as a senior counsel for transactions to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and led the agency's review of the Comcast-NBC Universal merger. (The Hill)
State and Local
- Los Angeles, CA hasn't updated its website in 14 years. They recently launched a beta version of their new portal, lacity.org, and are seeking public input to ensure that the site will best serve city residents. (Government Technology)
- The Oregon Supreme Court is set to consider a campaign finance law passed by voters in 2006 that would limit individual political contributions. The former Secretary of State chose not to enforce the regulations. (Lobby Comply)
2Day in #OpenGov 1/10/2011
Policy Fellow Matt Rumsey wrote this post. Here is Tuesday’s take on transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills... View Article
Continue reading2Day in #OpenGov 1/9/2012
Policy Fellow Matt Rumsey wrote this post. Here is a look at this week’s transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings,... View Article
Continue reading2Day in #OpenGov 1/6/2011
Policy Fellow Matt Rumsey wrote this post. Here is the week’s last look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings,... View Article
Continue reading2Day in #OpenGov 1/5/2012
Policy Fellow Matt Rumsey wrote this post. Here is Thursday’s look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills... View Article
Continue reading2Day in #OpenGov 1/4/2012
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:
International
- Iranian bloggers are reporting that Iran will be cut off from the larger World Wide Web once the country launches its own planned national internet network. (Global Voices)
- Most Cubans don't have access to the internet, or even own personal computers, but many manage to share information and media with flash memory sticks full of data. (Havana Times)
Campaign Finance
- A new group, United Republic, aims to eliminate the influence of money over politics. Their three pronged strategy revolves around efforts to increase awareness of the issue, replace lawmakers who put money over their constituents, and amend the constitution to limit money's power in politics. (National Journal)
- The Iowa Caucuses were held last night and Super PACs and other independent groups made their presence known. Mitt Romney, who narrowly won the Caucuses, has seen the most monetary benefit. (Washington Post)
- Stephen Colbert has taken advantage of the Citizens United decision and FEC rulings to educate his audience and satirize the campaign finance system by becoming an active participant in it. (New York Times Magazine)
State and Local
- Nevada launched a new online system for campaign finance filings. All parties filing contribution and expense reports or financial disclosure statements are required to report online. (Lobby Comply)
- The Montana Supreme Court found that a state law prohibiting independent expenditures by corporations related to a candidate is constitutional and does not conflict with the Citizens United decision. (Lobby Comply)
2Day in #OpenGov 1/3/2012
Here is 2012's first look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. News Roundup:
International
- A post about I Paid A Bribe, a website that makes it easy for users to report bribery and corruption, was one of the World Bank's top blog posts of 2011. (World Bank)
- Digital Divide Data, a 10 year old non profit started in Silicon Valley, helps train poor workers in the developing world for entry-level technology jobs. (Mercury News)
- 2012 looks like it will be a big year for Africa's technology scene. Highlights include increases in mobile broadband access, improved mobile health initiatives, and a push for more tech education and incubation. (Connected Africa)
- The UN held its fourth, and largest to date, anti-corruption conference in October. Despite its size and scope, no major initiatives were passed. (Transparency.org)
Government
- 2012 was a busy year for Government 2.0, with notable strides being taken by cities around the country. Other highlights came in the form of open source initiatives in federal government IT. (O'Reilly Radar)
- The National Archives is preparing to release the 1940 U.S. Census online for free. This is a major step in the Archives' attempt to make their information more easily available to the public. (Mashable)
Campaign Finance
- Super PACs have spent almost $13 million on the early Republican nominating competitions. Mitt Romney got the most help, to the tune of $4.6 million, with Rick Perry not too far behind. (I Watch News)
- In one week alone Super PAC ad spending in Iowa topped $1.2 million, which easily surpassed combined ad spending by the candidates. (AP/Yahoo)
2Day in #OpenGov 12/30/2011
Policy Fellow Matt Rumsey wrote this post. Here is 2011’s last look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related... View Article
Continue reading2Day in #OpenGov 12/29/2011
Here is Thursday's look at transparency-related news items, congressional committee hearings, transparency-related bills introduced in Congress, and transparency-related events. Here is the weeks first look! News Roundup:
Campaign Finance
- Last week, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that New York City lawmakers cannot accept or solicit donations from individuals or organizations that do business with the city, despite an argument that the Citizens United decision made such contributions legal. (Courthouse News)
- The coal industry, organized labor, and hospitals all boosted their political spending in Virginia this year, according to analysis done by the Virginia Public Access Project. (Washington Post)
- The Our Destiny Super PAC, created to support John Huntsman's presidential bid, is trying to change its filing status from quarterly to monthly. The change would allow the PAC to avoid filing a 12 day pre-primary financial report, otherwise due on Thursday, and keep its donors secret longer. (Politico)
Lobbying
- Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE), who recently announced his retirement, could garner salary offers up $1 million if he decides to become a lobbyist. Nelson has yet to announce his next career move. (The Hill)
- Former Representative Brian Baird (D-WA) can't lobby his former colleagues until next summer, but that hasn't stopped him from taking a job as a lobbying coordinator at a Portland based shipbuilder. His position likely involves overseeing and directing lobbying and government relations strategy. (National Journal)
State and Local
- An Arizona appeals court ruled in favor of watchdog Judicial Watch and against the Mayor of Phoenix. The Mayor will have to release 600 more pages of his police detail's activity logs. (Courthouse News)
- Philadelphia had a year full of Open Government initiatives. Highlights included the arrival of Code for America fellows and the launch of Open Data Philly. (Gov Fresh)
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