Bill Aims to Close Gaps in FOI Law

[Kadie]

Bill Aims to Close Gaps in FOI Law
By MICHAEL J. SNIFFEN, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, February 16, 2005


(02-16) 15:31 PST WASHINGTON, (AP) --


A bill to close gaps in the Freedom of Information Act and speed release of government documents was introduced Wednesday by a bipartisan pair of senators on the Judiciary Committee.


Sponsored by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and the panel's ranking Democrat, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the OPEN Government Act of 2005 was endorsed by 27 interest groups in journalism and across the political spectrum, from the liberal American Civil Liberties Union to the conservative Heritage Foundation.


The bill restates the original 1966 act's "strong presumption in favor of disclosure" while noting the law has not always lived up to its ideals.


"If records can be open, they should be open," Cornyn said. "If there is a good reason to keep something closed, it is the government that should bear the burden (of proof) _ not the other way around."


more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/02/16/national/w153100S67.DTL

[Peggy Day]

1. Just look for the small print or hidden agenda

I just don't trust anyone in government now-that probably sounds dumb, but oh well.

[phusion]

2. These docs can cost thousands of dollars...

That's how they restrict it -- charge exorbitant fees for "research."

[EVDebs]

4. You can get it to cost less. Look online on how to file a FOIA

the first 100 pages is suppose to be free also (but don't take my word for it). See firstamendmentcenter link on how to file foia

http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/Press/information/topic.aspx?topic=how_to_FOIA

[Just Me]

3. Please change your subject line to "FOIA".

"Sounds" good.

I would sincerely like to see greater governmental transparency and an end to the bullshit asserted as reasons for non-compliance with requests (including the absolute WORST ABUSE - CHARGING THE PUBLIC FOR A PUBLIC DISCLOSURE - grrrrrrr)!

[GetTheRightVote]

5. So why are they being so generous all of the sudden, smell a rat I do

:kick:

[yltlatl]

6. Whaddya Mean Being Generous?

They introduced a bill. It'll probably never make it out of committee. I think that a few senators and reps still genuinely try to govern in the interest of at least some significant portion of the population. Unfortunately the procedural rules of both chambers and the republican majority means that they wield way more power than is expressed as a ratio of their seats to the democrats': in most cases they get to say what does or doesn't make it to the floor for a vote. And just in case something they don't want sneaks by, there's always a chance to kill it when they reconcile the house and senate versions. And, on the off chance that a bill that's in the public interest were to make it to bushie's desk, he could always veto it. I think it's more likely that the existing FOIA will be amended out of existence than that anything that makes government more transparent will ever become the law of the land.

[DoNotRefill]

7. what pisses me off....

is that a fair number of PUBLIC BROADCAST stations claim to be FOIA exempt.

:grr:

[struggle4progress]

8. kick