Blog Posts and Analysis / Open, Accountable Government

Groups Object to Indian Affairs FOIA Exemptions

Several groups and individuals voiced objections to a Senate Bureau of Indian Affairs reform bill, in a letter delivered to Senators Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) and Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) July 8.

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Patriot Act Intact but Under Fire in Congress

In a vote reflecting disagreement among Republican leaders and several conservative members of Congress over the USA Patriot Act, the House of Representatives defeated by the thinnest possible margin an effort to reign in the government's power to require libraries and booksellers to reveal the books people are reading. Libraries and booksellers, including the American Library Association and American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, have gathered over 100,000 signatures in a campaign to support the Freedom to Read Protection Act, yet the House deadlocked on the bill.

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Poll Shows Growing Public Support for First Amendment

Public support for the First Amendment has rebounded to pre-9/11 levels, according to this year's results of an annual poll by the First Amendment Center.

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Ad Council pushes public to "exercise freedom" after 9/11

The Advertising Council last week released several public service announcements designed to remind Americans to support and defend freedom as part of the response to the attacks of September 11. These new ads encourage Americans to exercise their freedom by voting, volunteering and otherwise engaging in civic life.

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EPA Releases 2002 Toxic Release Inventory: Right-to-Know Compromised

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 2002 data for the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) shows a 5 percent increase in toxic releases to the environment. The agency's premier right-to-know program released the new data on June 23, one day after the Environmental Integrity Project published a report documenting levels of air toxins four to five times higher than previously reported.

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Court Rejects Claim in First Decision on Data Quality Act

In the first ever court decision to address the Data Quality Act, a federal district court in Minnesota has held that the Act does not permit petitioners to seek judicial review.

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DHS Seeks Exemptions From Public Disclosure Requirements

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is looking to hide Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), partially or in whole, from public disclosure. A June 14 directive published in the Federal Register would exempt the agency from a number of requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

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