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2004

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The Information and Access Program focuses on defending and advancing the public's right to know. Unfortunately access to government information is under near constant attack. This program tracks and analyzes policies that affect the public's right to know and works to improve them. Our goal is to increase the quality of, access to, and use of government information.

Information & Access News for 2005. For news from previous years, see the Archive.

News

EPA Official Forced Out for Being Effective 05/13/2008
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 administrator Mary Gade felt the full force of Dow Chemical's influence in Washington when on May 1, she was told to resign or be fired by June 1. Gade, who used to represent industries and often advocated against increased regulation, was on the other side of protracted negotiations with Dow over clean-up of dioxin contamination at its Midland, MI, plant. Gade choose to resign in protest following the ultimatum. Read More

The Rule of Secret Law in the Bush Administration 05/13/2008
The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution held a hearing on the proliferation of secret law in the Bush administration. In particular, the subcommittee focused on the role of the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) in the Justice Department in the development of secret law governing the executive branch. Read More

White House Issues Memo on Controlled Unclassified Information 05/13/2008
The White House released a memorandum on May 9 establishing new rules governing the designation and sharing of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). The memo attempts to resolve the growing problem of multiple Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) designations, which slow sharing of information, by creating a single designation and consistent procedures. Read More

Whistleblower Week in Washington 05/13/2008
Whistleblower advocates convene in Washington, DC, this week (May 12-16) for events dedicated to honoring whistleblowers, promoting their protection, and educating the public and Congress about the most pressing issues for whistleblowers today. Read More

Report Documents Political Meddling with Science at EPA 04/29/2008
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientists are faced with widespread political interference that has significantly increased under the Bush administration, a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) shows. Hundreds of the scientists surveyed (60 percent) reported some degree of political meddling, ranging from unnecessary delays to forced resignations. Read More

Bill Requires Disclosure of Product Defects 04/29/2008
In an effort to improve transparency following litigation on defective products, the House last week introduced the Sunshine in Litigation Act (H.R. 5884). Read More

EPA Submits Plan for Re-Opening Libraries 04/15/2008
Responding to congressional demands, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is re-opening libraries that the agency closed over the past several years. However, it appears that the content of the libraries will be more limited, and the facilities will be subject to stricter central supervision, raising concerns from critics about the role politics will play. Read More

Problems Disclosed on Classification Procedures at Intelligence Agencies 04/15/2008
A recent report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) reviews the classification procedures at eight agencies and finds significant problems, which unnecessarily complicate classification procedures and inhibit the free flow of information. Read More

New OMB Watch Report Unveils Top Five Open Government Questions for Candidates 03/19/2008
WASHINGTON, March 19, 2008—OMB Watch today released a report that names the top five open government questions that Americans would like candidates for federal office to answer before the November elections. Top Open Government Questions for Candidates, based on a survey of more than 2,000 people, was released in conjunction with Sunshine Week. Read More

House Passes Compromise FISA Bill 03/18/2008
The House recently rejected the president's request to pass and send to the White House a Senate bill to extend surveillance authority and grant telecommunications companies retroactive immunity for assisting in wiretapping. Instead, on March 14, the House passed the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 (H.R. 3773), which rejects immunity for telecommunications companies and imposes stronger civil liberties safeguards. Read More

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