A new National Priorities Project report highlights the cuts slated for state and local governments under the President’s FY 2003 budget proposal. These cuts will only further complicate matters for the vast majority of states that are already contending with budget crises. For more on the cuts and there state-by-state impact, see the full NPP analysis. The analysis will continue to be updated over the next 2 weeks, and readers are encouraged to check the NPP website if they do not see their program area covered in the analysis and tables.

GAO Report Identifies Flaws in Government Information Policy (03/18/2002)
The federal government's plan for managing information is inadequate to meet potential challenges of the post-September 11^th environment, as well as broad information challenges the government may face as it becomes more electronic, according to a new report from the General Accounting Office -- the investigative arm of Congress.

Data Quality Meetings To Be Held (03/18/2002)
Data Quality meetings abound in Washington DC this week. The National Academy of Sciences is hosting a public workshop focused on OMB's "Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility, and Integrity of Information Disseminated by Federal Agencies" on March 21 and 22. This workshop is being organized by the Ad Hoc Committee on Data Quality under the auspices of the Science, Technology, and Law Program of The National Academies. The registration deadline is Tuesday, March 19 and there is no registration fee. Information on the workshops can be found on this National Academies website.

State and Local PACs Not Reporting to IRS Could Owe Millions in Penalties (03/18/2002)
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has said that state and local PACs that have failed to register could owe millions in penalties, and they are evaluating how to proceed.

ICANN: Barriers to Participation; Nonprofit Domain Constituency Expanded (03/18/2002)
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a private-sector nonprofit constituting one of the major international Internet technical standards organizations, recently adopted a set of measures that increasingly prevents more public accountability to and participation from the Internet community -- including individuals and nonprofit organizations. It also issued its decision regarding nonprofit Internet domain space.

Graham Grilled on Possible Regulatory Roll Backs (03/18/2002)
Rep. John Tierney (D-MA) grilled John Graham, administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), on whether he is seeking to roll back regulation at the request of affected industry at a March 12 hearing in the House Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs.

Bush Administration to Ease Environmental Laws for Coal Powered Plants (03/18/2002)
The Bush administration plans to ease off of older coal-fired power plants that have violated clean air standards in favor of "incentives for voluntary reductions in toxic emissions," according to this article in the Washington Post.

Public Still At Risk of Chemical Plant Attack (03/18/2002)
The Washington Post reported last week that a previously undisclosed study by the Army surgeon general concludes that as many as 2.4 million people are at risk of being killed or injured in a terrorist attack against a U.S. toxic chemical plant in a densely populated area. This shocking number is twice as high as previous government estimates of possible casualties of a worst-case scenario involving terrorist attacks on chemical plants.

EPA Announces Plans to Restrict Access to Envirofacts (03/18/2002)
On March 14, 2002 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emailed an announcement to Envirofacts users explaining that it will no longer allow direct access to the Envirofacts databases. In the email to Direct Connect Users, EPA stated that, "As part of our continuing efforts to respond to Homeland Security issues . . . starting April 1, 2002, Direct Connect access will no longer be available to the general public. Direct Connect access to Envirofacts will only be available to U.S. EPA employees, U.S. EPA Contractors, the Military, Federal Government, and State Agency employees."