Government Matters Articles

New Website Comparing State Openness Laws

The Marion Brechner Citizen Access Project recently announced the launch of its new web site. The new website compares openness laws among all the states, with a strong focus on how states have limited access to information in response to terrorism and security concerns.

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Michigan Counties Use FOIA for Antiterror Plans

Five Michigan counties have been forced to file requests under the state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in order to obtain documents which the State Police are keeping secret. The efforts, led by Oakland County, aim to obtain state antiterrorism plans in order to strengthen their own emergency readiness plans. A number of requests for the information have been filed over the past year but have gone unfulfilled, prompting the counties to file under FOIA. While FOIA requests are usually filed by the public to gain access to government information, government can also utilize the laws.

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Secret Meeting in Florida

The Florida Senate held a secret meeting March 6, 2003, the first time in several decades that the press and public were unable to attend a Senate committee meeting. Senators were briefed about a state database called Threat-Net, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) counter-terrorism database. FDLE Commissioner Tim Moore asked for the closed meeting for security reasons, although senators attending had no special security clearance. Senate President Jim King (R) defended the meeting saying, “we're involved in some stuff that doesn't fit within the purview of normalcy.

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FOIA, Access to Hearings at Greatest Risk from Secrecy

Two useful resources from journalists' document efforts to close the doors of government as the public continues to worry about the safety of our communities.

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Audit finds mixed agency response to Ashcroft FOIA Memo

Federal agencies showed varied responses to Attorney General John Ashcroft's memo instructing agencies to withhold documents whenever legally possible under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The audit concludes agencies' implementation of FOIA requests is in disarray, with agencies failing to provide basic information to help the public file requests (such as agency FOIA contacts), failure to acknowledge requests within 20 days as FOIA requires, excessive delays and backlogs in responding to requests, and inconsistent appeals processes.

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Read the Watcher in Full in Easy-to-Print PDF Format

For your convenience, the OMB Watcher is also available in full as a PDF document -- this will allow for viewing and printing of the entire issue in one document.

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CBO Report Analyzes Effects of President?s Budget Proposals

On March 7, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its annual report analyzing the effects on revenue and spending of the President’s budget proposals. The report was yet another blow to the President’s proposals for additional tax cuts.

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JCT Report Calculates Total Costs of President?s Latest Tax Cut Proposals

On March 4, the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) released its estimates of the costs of the tax provisions contained in the President’s FY 2004 budget proposal. Since the President’s Budget proposal is just that – a proposal – these analyses are important for providing a neutral examination of these policy changes that can permanently affect the federal government’s resources.

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CBO Issues Analysis of Options for Repeal and Reform of Estate Tax

As part of its annual look at budget scenarios, which includes a wide array of tax and revenue options, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently released an analysis of four different options for the estate tax and the revenue effects of each option.

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Senate Briefing Focuses on CARE Act and Discrimination

Comment on grant competition in an era of budget cuts in our forum.

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