Blog Posts and Analysis / Open, Accountable Government

Cheney Task Force Documents to Remain Secret, Judge Dismisses Lawsuit

A federal appeals court judge dismissed a lawsuit May 10, which sought to uncover secret documents from Vice President Cheney's energy task force. The judge ruled the task force was not subject to the disclosure requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA).

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Appeals Court Overturns D.C. Hazmat Ban

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled against Washington, DC (D.C.), on its law requiring that shipment of hazardous chemicals be rerouted around the nation's capital. The three-judge panel released its unanimous opinion May 3, overturning a lower court's decision to uphold the ban. The city may either appeal the panel's opinion to the full appeals court or return to the lower court for a hearing on the law.

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House Hears Changes Needed to Improve Freedom of Information Act

The House got a bipartisan earful last week about the need to address the growing problem of secrecy in government. At a hearing May 11 on putting teeth into the Freedom of Information Act, witnesses testified about how FOIA is becoming increasingly weaker in meeting public needs. On the same day, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) announced he would reintroduce a bill to strengthen government transparency, addressing issues beyond FOIA.

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Journalists Teach Communities to Access Government Information

On the heels of Sunshine Week, during which journalists highlighted the importance of open government, several newspapers have taken an extra step and begun training local communities to use freedom of information laws. Though freedom of information laws grant the general public rights to access government information, many citizens do not know how to use them and often journalists act as intermediaries between the public and the government. However, journalists can never fully represent a community's range of concerns, so it is important to inform and empower the public.

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Kentucky Attorney General Caps Copying Fees

Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo (D) recently limited the amount the state agencies could charge citizens for copies of government documents. The prices the government charges for searches and copies are often cited by groups as a major obstacle to obtaining more information through the Freedom of Information laws. In an April 25 opinion, Stumbo capped fees on copies of public records at 10 cents per page. The opinion came after Beaver Dam resident Mike Nance contacted the attorney general's office complaining about the 50 cents per page the Hartford, KY, county government charged him.

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Ohio Bill To Privatize Government Information, Services

An Ohio state legislator last month reintroduced legislation to force taxpayers to pay companies for services and information that taxpayers already receive more efficiently and cheaply directly through the government. An anti-government conservative group, the American Legislative Exchange Council, originally drafted the legislation and saw it introduced in at least five states in 2003. It previously failed in Ohio.

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Defense Department Seeks New FOIA Exemption

The Department of Defense (DoD) is seeking a broad Freedom of Information (FOIA) exemption, which would remove critical information from public purview -- everything from information on human rights abuses, to historical military records. The agency sought such an exemption in 2000, but Congress rejected the measure.

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