Transparency

August 24, 2007 -- TALLAHASSEE — Florida Governor Charlie Crist today addressed the Commission on Open Government during the group’s first meeting in Tallahassee. The nine commission members appointed by the Governor are charged with reviewing and evaluating the public’s right of access to government meetings and records. The meeting is the first of at least three public hearings to receive input from the public, media and government representatives throughout the state    » read more »

08/23/2007 -- Calling for a fundamental change in the way political boundaries are drawn to promote fairness and transparency in elections, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today joined former Governors Davis and Wilson to push redistricting reform. The governors met with members of the Voices of Reform Coalition, Common Cause, the League of Women Voters and others to discuss the need for a redistricting measure to be passed this legislative session.    » read more »

Illinois Senator Says He'll "Take the Blinders" Off the White House

August 15, 2007 -- CEDAR FALLS, IA -- U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today said that as President, he will enact sweeping reforms to dramatically increase transparency and accountability in government to make it responsive and accountable to the American people. The Illinois Senator outlined his plan in remarks that highlighted his record of fighting for ethics and lobbying reforms that were unpopular with political insiders while in the U.S. Senate and the Illinois state Senate.    » read more »

August 15, 2007 -- DES MOINES -- Today in Cedar Falls, U.S. Senator Barack Obama will discuss his plan to increase government transparency and accountability in Washington, D.C. Today’s remarks will highlight Senator Obama’s record of fighting for ethics and lobbying reforms that were unpopular with political insiders while in the U.S. Senate and the Illinois state Senate. Following the Cedar Falls event, Senator Obama will address the AFL-CIO Convention in Waterloo.    » read more »

Says Changes Recommended by Voting Machine Examination Committee Must First Be Adopted and Machines Re-tested by NJIT

August 10, 2007 -- Trenton, NJ – The New Jersey Voting Machine Examination Committee has rejected immediate certification of voter verified paper record systems for electronic voting machines in use in 20 of the state’s 21 counties, recommending a number of fixes before the machines could be used in elections. The committee said the systems met core criteria, but certain shortcomings needed to be corrected before approval.    » read more »

August 08, 2007 -- (Frankfort, KY) On a day when thousands of Kentuckians read about Secretary of State Trey Grayson’s plan to provide greater accountability in Kentucky’s elections process, Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo again issued reckless allegations to garner headlines while stating that he does not support Voter Verified Paper Records (VVPRs) for Kentucky elections.    » read more »

Aug. 6, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Legislation passed just before Congress left town for its August recess makes long-overdue changes to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that will speed agency responses to records requests and help open the government to average citizens, Public Citizen said today.

The Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National Government Act (S. 849), known as the OPEN Government Act, passed the Senate by unanimous consent on Friday night. Similar legislation passed the House of Representatives overwhelmingly in March.    » read more »

Aug. 1, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Public Citizen today sent a letter to Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) urging the senator to allow a key open government measure to proceed. Kyl has blocked the bill for months.    » read more »

August 2, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor in support of the Honest Government and Leadership Act. This legislation would provide increased transparency and accountability, reduce the influence of lobbyists and special interests, and bring about the concrete changes we need in Washington. In January, Obama joined with Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) to introduce Lobbying and Ethics Reform Act, which set a standard for strong ethics legislation this Congress.    » read more »

Kerry's "Duke Cunningham Act" Included in Sweeping Legislation

08/02/2007 -- WASHINGTON D.C. – Senator John Kerry applauded the passage of historic, sweeping ethics legislation reforms today, which will fundamentally change the way business is done in Washington. The law makes good on a promise Democrats made when they regained the majority in the House and Senate, which was to force much-needed reforms in the way Congress operates.    » read more »

August 2, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate today, with the support of Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill, voted to enact sweeping ethics reforms that significantly tighten the rules related to earmarks and congressional lobbying. Already known among her colleagues as a fiscal conservative and a critic of the secretive earmark process, McCaskill spoke on Senate floor in favor of the overall package, suggesting there was still room for additional progress.    » read more »

August 3, 2007 -- Mr. LEAHY: Mr. President, I am pleased that the Senate has passed the Leahy-Cornyn Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National Government Act” (the “OPEN Government Act”), S.849, before adjourning for the August recess. This important Freedom of Information Act legislation will strengthen and reinvigorate FOIA for all Americans.    » read more »

August 2, 2007 -- Washington, DC – The U.S. Senate today approved a comprehensive ethics and lobbying reform bill, the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, by a vote of 83-14.

Among its many provisions, the bill will slow the revolving door between Congress and the lobbying world, require disclosure of lobbyists who bundle campaign contributions, and increase transparency in the legislative process by requiring earmark transparency and preventing new earmarks from being added in the dead of night. (A summary of the bill can be found at the end of this press release.)    » read more »

07/12/2007 -- WASHINGTON D.C. – Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) wrote a letter to David Addington, Vice President Cheney’s Chief of Staff, asking for answers about reports that the Vice President’s office demanded control of the visitors logs of the Office of the Vice President from the Secret Service.    » read more »

July 3, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, DC - As the 41st birthday of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) approaches, a coalition of groups urged the U.S. Congress to pass a bill - currently locked behind a closed door - that would reform the FOIA and make it work better for the public. The OPEN Government Act (S. 849) would enact common-sense reforms to the FOIA and put in place incentives for federal agencies to process FOIA requests from the public in a timely manner.    » read more »