Senators Introduce Open Government Bill, Celebrate Sunshine Week
Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced legislation to improve government transparency and strengthen the Freedom of Information Act. The proposal comes during Sunshine Week, an annual celebration of open government. The OPEN FOIA Act of 2009 would reduce government secrecy by limiting the circumstances in which government records can be exempted from disclosure. "Excessive government secrecy is a constant temptation and the enemy of a vibrant democracy," Senator Leahy said. In 2007, Senators Leahy and Cornyn co-sponsored the OPEN Government Act, a law that imposed meaningful deadlines on federal agencies, created a FOIA Ombudsman, and provided "news media" standing for freelance journalists and bloggers. For more information, see EPIC's Litigation Under the Federal Open Government Laws.
March 19, 2009| Share:
