Missouri Proposes Ignoring ‘Annoying’ FOIA Requests

On Jan. 31, state Rep. Shannon Cooper (R-Clinton) introduced a bill in the Missouri House of Representatives that would modify Missouri’s Sunshine Law to allow a public governmental body to refuse any “vexatious” requests for documents. This bill would allow state agencies to reject any requests for information deemed annoying or frivolous. Unfortunately, a few other states have similar provisions in their sunshine laws.

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Fish and Wildlife Scientists Oppose Political Interference

A recent survey of scientists at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) conducted by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) revealed a disturbing amount of political interference in scientific activities at the agency. The survey was distributed to more than 1,400 biologists, ecologists, botanists and other science professionals in Ecological Services field offices across the country. The survey inquired about their opinions of the USFWS’s scientific integrity, as well as political interference, resources and morale.

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Iowa Supreme Court Rules Government Cannot Contract to Avoid Disclosure

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled that the fundraising organization hired by the state’s three universities must open their records to the public. The court reasoned that the Iowa State University Foundation “is performing a government function, and therefore its records are subject to disclosure.” The ruling sets an important precedent that a government agency may not avoid its disclosure obligations by contracting out the collection and management of information.

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Bill Proposes Taking Peer Review Away from OMB

Reps. Henry Waxman (D-CA), ranking member of the House Government Reform Committee, and Bart Gordon (D-TN), ranking member of the House Science Committee, introduced the Restore Scientific Integrity to Federal Research and Policymaking Act (H.R. 839) Feb. 16, which would move authority for federal peer review standards away from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

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FCC Requests Exemption in Open Meetings Law

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation requesting an exemption from the open meeting requirements of the Government in Sunshine Act.

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Industry Challenges D.C. Ban on Hazmat Rerouting

The rail company banned from shipping hazardous cargo through the nation’s capital has filed a suit to overturn the emergency legislation that was enacted earlier this month. The local law bans rail shipments of hazardous cargo from a 2.2-mile radius around the U.S.

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DHS Finally Speaks on CII

Almost a full year ago OMB Watch filed a request, under the Freedom of Information Act, to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for information on their Critical Infrastructure Information (CII) program. The request sought an accounting of how the program was used thus far including the number of submissions, rejections, and communications, as well as program procedures for handling information. Unfortunately, DHS was not very prompt with answers. In fact, it took a summons filed in the DC Circuit Court to get even a few pieces of basic information about the CII program.

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Nuclear Commission Expands Secrecy Provisions

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to expand the amount of information that can be withheld from the public as Safeguards Information (SGI). The new rule would amend existing SGI regulations to cover more types of information by inserting language and adding a new category of covered information — Safeguards Information-Modified Handling (SGI-M).

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Cornyn-Leahy Bipartisan Bill Would Strengthen FOIA

In perhaps one of the most significant moves to advance openness and accountability within the federal government in the last decade, Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the public’s hand in obtaining information from federal agencies under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Entitled the Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National (OPEN) Government Act (S. 394), the legislation would:
  • Allow the public to recoup legal costs from the federal government for improperly withheld documents;

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How Do You Measure Program Results?

For more than five years, the Bush administration has focused a good portion of its rhetoric on performance, accountability and results. To that end, in 2001, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) began to develop a mechanism called the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) to help budget examiners and federal managers measure the effectiveness of government programs.

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