Government Transparency

Colorado Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Udall joined with Connecticut Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman and eleven co-sponsors to introduce legislation this morning to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which bans lesbian, gay and bisexual service members from serving openly.
“In a time of two wars, any policy that leads to the discharge of [...]

In a four to one vote, the Colorado Supreme Court this morning declared that so-called clean elections Amendment 54 unconstitutionally tramped on the right to free speech. The Court barred authorities from enacting its provisions.
“[W]e find the Amendment’s deficiencies so pervasive that we must nullify the Amendment in its entirety,” the 4-1 majority ruled, [...]

Monday, Governor Ritter issued an executive order requiring his cabinet members and senior staff to submit conflict of interest disclosure reports by 25 October. The new order replaces a similar standing order issued a decade ago by the governor’s predecessor, Bill Owens, who sought to increase transparency with the order and guard his administration from [...]

The newest campaign finance reports are in and supporters of a measure targeting labor unions have reported another $405,000 in contributions, all of it coming from anonymous sources.

Backers of an initiative campaign hyping the values of “clean government” are funding their efforts with anonymous cash, and the mainstream media is starting to catch on.

A new federal law meant to strengthen the way government agencies process Freedom of Information Act requests would be undermined by a provision in President George W. Bush’s new 2009 budget proposal, according to government transparency groups and a lawmaker who sponsored the open records legislation.