And in Federal Government News….

As part of Sunshine Week, here are two positive stories about transparency and the federal government. First, Attorney General Eric Holder issued a new guidelines yesterday that direct all executive branch departments and agencies to apply a presumption of openness when administering the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The new guidelines, announced in a memo to heads of executive departments and agencies, build on the principles announced by President Obama on his first full day in office when he issued a presidential memorandum on the FOIA that called on agencies to “usher in a new era of open government.” At that time, President Obama also instructed Attorney General Holder to issue new FOIA guidelines that reaffirm the government’s commitment to accountability and transparency. The memo rescinds the guidelines issued by the previous administration.

“By restoring the presumption of disclosure that is at the heart of the Freedom of Information Act, we are making a critical change that will restore the public’s ability to access information in a timely manner,” said Attorney General Holder. “The American people have the right to information about their government’s activities, and these new guidelines will ensure they are able to obtain that information under principles of openness and transparency.” Today’s memo rescinds the guidelines issued on Oct. 12, 2001, by former Attorney General John Ashcroft. Read the memo here.

Then there is the “Read the Bill” campaign, lead by the Sunlight Foundation. The 1100 page Stimulus Bill is just the most recent example of legislation rushed through Congress with barely enough time to turn all the pages, much less read them. And if Congress doesn’t have time, neither do we. Most lawmakers—on both sides of the aisle—were only given 13 hours to read the bill before it was passed.
Unfortunately, this is not an anomaly. Many members of Congress wish they had more time to Read the Bill.

ReadTheBill.org is a commonsense solution – we want Congress to post all bills online for 72 hours before they are debated. That gives members of Congress – and you – three days to read legislation and consider how it could potentially affect each of us in our daily lives. A 72 hour rule would also give you a chance to let your senators and representative in Congress know what you like, or don’t like, about a bill before they vote.
If no one is taking the time to read these crucial pieces of legislation, then no one knows what’s in them before they are passed.
Let’s make sure Congress takes the time to Read the Bill. Sign their petition now.