First Amendment News

A plain writing act has been introduced in both houses of Congress. The acts promote transparency by requiring clear writing in government documents. -DB Secrecy Federation of American Scientists March 12, 2009 One way “to enhance citizen access to Government information,” a new Senate bill proposes, would be to require that Government documents “must be written clearly.” By insisting on plain language in official documents, the bill “promotes transparency and accountability,” said lead sponsor Sen.

The Obama administration pledged to rigorously monitor how recovery money is spent but has not yet approached the transparency required by the program’s importance and magnitude. -DB OMB Watch March 10, 2009 Three weeks after President Barack Obama signed into law the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), states have begun to see federal economic stimulus funds move within their borders. Behind the hundreds of billions of dollars soon to

An open government advocate defended a school board member against censure over his critical comments only to find that the judges ruled that the district’s free speech rights trumped those of the dissident board member. -DB CalAware Today March 11, 2009 Sunshine Week (March 15-21) is a national celebration of open government, but here in California a court decision has favored the suppression of dissent and cost a long-time open government advocate $80,000. More than

In the case of a marine accused of killing 24 Iraqis, the prosecutor argued that newsgathering protections are not recognized within the military justice system. CBS news claims that legal precedents allow them to withhold the tape of a 60 Minutes interview which they say contains nothing relevant to the prosecution. -DB nbcwashington.com March 12, 2009 SAN DIEGO – Marine Capt. Nicholas Gannon, who is pursuing charges against Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, 28, of Meriden,

An association of health care reporters wants the Obama administration to end policies in some federal agencies that require a publicist to approve and monitor interviews with government employees. -DB The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press March 10, 2009 By Kathleen Cullinan The Association of Health Care Journalists is looking for a little change it can believe in, pushing the Obama administration to dump policies in many federal agencies that require a flack’s