Blog Posts and Analysis / Open, Accountable Government

House Hearing Finds Too Much Secrecy, Seeks Fixes

A member of the 9/11 Commission and a former translator for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned House members that too much government secrecy today threatens the country’s ability to keep the nation safe. The comments were made during a House hearing March 2 that focused on the widespread breakdown of the system to help government keep only necessary secrets in a democratic political system.

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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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