Freedom of Information

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

read in full

Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

read in full

Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

read in full

Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

read in full

more news

State Secrets Legislation Introduced on the Heels of Sensitive Court Decision

During the week of Feb. 9, the Obama administration invoked the state secrets privilege in a sensitive legal case. The decision has led some groups to question if President Barack Obama is breaking from the Bush administration's interrogation and intelligence policies as promised, or if he intends to continue existing practices. Meanwhile, both houses of Congress are considering legislation (H.R. 984 and S. 417) to narrow the interpretation of the largely undefined privilege created by case law.

read in full

New Edition of Government Access Guide Available Online to Citizens

Feb 20, 2009 by Roger Strother*

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) published the tenth edition of the “Federal Open Government Guide” this week. The guide provides resources to assist citizens to better understand and utilize the Freedom of Information Act.

read in full

OMB Watch Executive Director Contributes to Book on Sustainability

The Environmental Law Institute has released the Agenda for a Sustainable America, a comprehensive assessment of U.S. progress toward sustainable development and a roadmap of necessary next steps toward achieving a sustainable America. OMB Watch Executive Director Gary D. Bass contributed to the book, in a chapter titled "Public Access to Information, Participation, and Justice: Forward and Backward Steps Toward an Informed and Engaged Citizenry."

Order Agenda for a Sustainable America

read in full

New Director of National Intelligence Promotes Smarter Classification

During his recent confirmation hearing, Admiral Dennis Blair, the new Director of National Intelligence (DNI), derided the current classification system, which promotes over-classification of intelligence-related information. He discussed the need for a cultural change in the intelligence dissemination process that includes new training for analysts and greater accountability.

read in full

House Passes Bill to Improve Information Sharing with First Responders

Feb 4, 2009 by Roger Strother*

On Tuesday, the House passed the Reducing Over-Classification Act of 2009 (H.R. 553). The legislation details steps the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must take to share intelligence with state, local, and tribal agencies.

read in full

White House Promises a New Era of Sunlight

In his first full day in office, President Barack Obama acknowledged the importance of transparency by signing an executive order on the Presidential Records Act (PRA) and issuing memoranda on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and open government standards in general. He further pledged that he would "hold [himself], as president, to a new standard of openness."

read in full

New Potential and Challenges for White House Website

President Barack Obama replaced the Bush administration's White House website at noon on Inauguration Day. The new website has been met with both applause and criticism in its first week of operation, but it offers indications of how the new president may utilize Internet technology to better inform the public.

read in full

OMB Watch Commends Obama Administration for Open Government Memos, Urges Strong Follow-Through

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2009—OMB Watch today commended the Obama administration for making government openness and transparency one of its top priorities. In its first full day in office, the administration issued memos directing agencies to adhere to principles of openness and transparency and instructing the Attorney General to issue new guidelines on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that embody the spirit of open government.

read in full

Justice Nominee May Bring Sunlight to Office of Legal Counsel

On Jan. 5, President-elect Obama nominated Dawn Johnsen as Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC). Johnsen has written articles advocating for restrained executive power and increased government transparency, in particular at OLC. The office issued several secret and controversial opinions during the Bush administration.

read in full

Department of Energy Proposes Eliminating 20-Year-Old Disclosure Test

On Dec. 9, 2008, the Department of Energy (DOE) published a proposed rule that would revise its official Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations to remove a 20-year-old requirement for weighing the public interest in records disclosure decisions. In the same rulemaking, DOE also proposed to raise FOIA copying fees from five cents to 20 cents a page.

read in full