It's Sunshine Week!

 Because sunlight is the best of disinfectants. Celebrate by filing your MPIA today!

It's Sunshine Week!

 

This week is Sunshine Week. Parents' Coalition members work hard all year long to shine a light on MCPS, to make sure our tax dollars, whether federal, state, or local, are well spent, and that the Board of Education which runs our public schools, and MCPS staff, are operating in a transparent manner so that our children get the very best public education possible. Our annual MCPS budget is close to $3billion, pretty much half of our entire county budget. We think it is critical that we know how the money is spent and administered on behalf of parents and children.

Here are some things we have been tracking:

The After Action Report from the tragic Magruder School shooting. Dr. McKnight assured our state legislators that an After Action Report would be completed. We still have not seen it.

Our ESSER funds. How are they being spent? We don't know.

Care to add to this list? Please add to the comments. Because sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.

Montg. County Delegation moves secretly to shut down Maryland Public Information Act

Just in time for Sunshine Week our Montgomery County Delegation to Annapolis is secretly fast-tracking a bill that will shut down our MD Public Information Act (MPIA). The Senate version of the bill is sponsored by Sen. Cheryl Kagan. Please contact your delegates and senators and tell them to OPPOSE HB677 and SB477.

I wanted to draw your attention to a bill that is on a fast track and making its way through the Maryland General Assembly.

House Bill 677 purports to protect privacy by limiting the release of distribution lists containing email addresses, physical addresses and phone numbers. It is filed as an EMERGENCY BILL that would take effect immediately upon passage and signature by the Governor (3/5 supermajority vote required).

However the bill overreaches and would shut down many legitimate MPIA request that are truly in the public interest.

The bill is sponsored in the House by Del. Joseline Pena Melnyk. The companion Senate bill SB477 is sponsored by Sen. Cheryl Kagan. The bill is a priority of the Maryland Municipal League.

 

The Senate bill has already passed in the Senate but the House committee has not yet voted. With 40 days remaining in the Maryland legislative session, there is time to get this right.

Contact your Delegates and Senator and tell them to oppose HB677 and SB477 . Make the same ask of your County and municipal officials.

Montgomery County Civic Federation Meeting Mon, Mar 14th: It's Sunshine Week! Even in Montgomery County.

The Montgomery County Civic Federation is proud to participate in Sunshine Week which begins today! Tomorrow evening our program will be on the 'opendata Montgomery' websites. Please join us for an informal roundtable with lots of participation on how the publicly funded Montgomery County government is doing to open up government records. A representative from the Sunlight Foundation will also be participating. For more, go to our website.

DATE: Monday, March 14th
TIME: 7:45 pm
PLACE: Executive Office Building, Lobby Level Auditorium, 101 Monroe Street, Rockville



We will also be presenting a posthumous Community Hero award to Peter Murtha, founder of 350MoCo.  Mr. Murtha led the ongoing effort to divest the county's pension funds from fossil fuel companies that drive climate change. Currently MoCo's Employee Retirement System pension plans have over $65,000,000 invested in 65 of the world's 200 largest fossil fuel companies.

Sunshine Week: Transparency Camp is coming! May 30th-31st

 

Each year the Sunlight Foundation holds a Transparency Camp 'Unconference.'  This is a great opportunity to meet others interested in and working on opengov and government transparency issues.  This year the Unconference will be held on May 30th-31st, at George Mason University on the Arlington campus.

Sunlight has asked us to let you know that if you or anyone you know is interested in coming to Transparency Camp 2014 and may need a little help, please do check out and apply for the TCamp scholarship. You can apply here.

Blog post calling for applications is here 

http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2014/03/08/apply-to-be-a-tcamp-2014-scholar/

We hope to see everyone there!

Sunshine Week

It's Sunshine Week!

Sunshine Week Early Start - MD State Dept of Ed Non-responses

Posted yesterday on Twitter by Reporter Craig O'Donnell, Kent County News.  What's your Sunshine Week story?

Sunshine Week Mar 16th-22nd. Here we go...

Here's a fun activity for Sunshine Week, to start us off early, from our friends at Watchdog Wire: Audit your County Website.  It's easy and fun. To begin, go here.

 

From WatchdogWire:
This year, we’re doing something different, and we need *your* help!

We are asking you, our citizen watchdogs, to AUDIT your city, county, or township website.

Can you access budgets on your county website, or find contact information for all public officials? Are meeting minutes available?  Is there a database of all public spending? In our opinion, It’s the 21st century – and this stuff should be online!

 

It’s surprisingly easy to audit your city or county website- here’s how you get started:

 

1. Log on to your local government’s website and start clicking around. (You should be able to find it easily by Googling the name of your city or county).

2. Not sure what to look for? We’ve put together a rubric to help you determine what information should be readily available. Click here to view the rubric on your computer. 

3. Write down your observations about how user friendly or transparent the website is for everyday citizens. Frame your thoughts in the style of a blogpost and we will feature it on Watchdog Wire. Send your article to Info@WatchdogWire.com.

4. Not a writer?  Fill out this quick web form about your city website and send the information to us!

5. Watchdog Wire staff will send the feedback to your local government on YOUR behalf.
Let’s make some noise about the state of government websites in America! Tell us the good, the bad, and the ugly – and we will feature your work on Watchdog Wire.

 

This Sunshine Week, join us in demanding more transparent and accessible local governments.

It's Sunshine Week! And Now it's Your Turn

Sunshine Week is almost over, and now it's your turn! Maryland has its very own Maryland Public Information Act, or MPIA.  Do you want some information that the county government won't give you?  Having trouble getting those files? those data? Here's an example of a modified Sample Letter Request to get the information, courtesy of the MD Attorney General's Office, feel free to cut and paste for your own MPIA project.

March 12, 2013

Mr. Freeman Information

Executive Director

License Commission

110 First Street

Baltimore, Maryland 21200

Dear Mr. Information:

Pursuant to State government article, Section 10-614, of the Annotated Code of Maryland I request a copy of all records containing the information hereinafter described.  Please send me all records, including telephone logs, minutes, telephone notes, emails, printouts, letters, memoranda, sent or received or recorded regarding <INSERT YOUR TOPIC HERE>.  This is a request for records, regardless of format, medium, or physical characteristics and including electronic records and information, audiotapes, CDs, videotapes and photographs pursuant to the Maryland Public Information Act, State Government Article §§10-611 to 628.

Specifically, I am seeking any and all records regarding <INSERT YOUR TOPIC HERE>.

Please search for responsive records regardless of format, medium, or physical characteristics.  I am seeking records of any kind including electronic records, audiotapes, videotapes and photographs. 

My request includes any telephone messages, voice mail messages, daily agenda and calendars, information about scheduled meetings and/or discussions, whether in-person or over the telephone, agendas for those meetings and/or discussions, participants included in those meetings and/or discussions, minutes of any such meetings and/or discussions, the topics discussed at those meetings and/or discussions, e-mail regarding meetings and/or discussions, e-mail or facsimiles sent as a result of those meetings and/or discussions and transcripts or notes of any such meetings and/or discussions. 

If all or any part of this request is denied, I request that I be provided with a written statement of the grounds for the denial.  If you determine that some portions of the requested records are exempt from disclosure, please provide me with the portions that can be disclosed.

Please advise me as to the cost, if any, for inspecting the records described above.  I anticipate that I will want copies of some or all of the records sought. If you have adopted a fee schedule for obtaining copies of records and other rules or regulations implementing the Act, please send me a copy.

I look forward to receiving disclosable records promptly.  Thank you for your cooperation.

If you have any questions regarding this request, my contact information is below.

Sincerely,

Connie Have

Here are some tips from members of various watchdog non-profits:
1. Be very specific.
2. Make sure to address your MPIA to the correct person.
3. Be persistent.
4. Be persistent.
5. Sue if you need to.

Sunshine Week Events for Friday, March 15th

Sunshine Week events in the D.C. area for Friday, March 15th:

Cato XML (event is for Thursday and Friday)
The Cato Institute, Washington, DC
The Cato is hosting a Sunshine Week workshop looking at legislative data and Wikipedia. The first session, Thursday from 2:30-5:30 p.m., is designed for people of all technical skill levels and will cover Wikipedia editing, policies and culture. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop. Immediately following at 5:30 p.m., Cato will host a Sunshine Week reception. Friday’s daylong workshop for qualified Wikipedians and legislative data practitioners will be led by Pete Forsyth of Wiki Strategies, and is about making Wikipedia more informative about legislation and public policy. Participants can select one or all of the sessions and reception to attend. More information and registration information is on the Cato website.

National Freedom of Information DayFirst Amendment Center, Newseum, Washington, DC
The daylong 15th annual National Freedom of Information Day conference will be held at the Knight Conference Center at the Newseum in Washington. In morning sessions, OpenTheGovernment.org will present its 8th annual Sunshine Week examination of the state of openness in the federal government, focusing this year on outlook for the president’s second term. Also on the day’s agenda: a keynote discussion with First Amendment attorney Floyd Abrams; a discussion of the new documentary, “Whistleblowers”; the American Library Association will present its James Madison Award. There is no charge to attend, but attendees are encouraged to register in advance to guarantee seating. A PDF of the full agenda is on the Openthegovernment.org site. For registration information, see the Freedom of Information Day announcement.

Luncheon and Speaker Thomas DrakeNational Press Club, Washington, DC
The National Press Club will host former National Security Agency analyst Thomas Drake, a government whistleblower charged under the Espionage Act, at a luncheon beginning at 12:30 p.m., followed by Drake’s remarks and a question-and-answer period. Tickets are $21 for members (limit 2) and $35 for non-members.For more information and to make reservations, visit the Press Club website.

Panel: The Right to Photograph and Record in PublicShoot Off Visual Media Workshop, Arlington, VA
An afternoon panel discussion during workshops for military and civil service photographers will address the First Amendment right to photograph and record events in public. Led by National Press Photographers Association General Counsel Mickey Osterreicher, panelists will include: Washington Metropolitan Police Department Public Information Officer Gwendolyn Crump; Attorney Mary Borja of Wiley Rein LLP in Washington; and White House News Photographers Association President Ron Sachs of Consolidated News. For more information, go to the Shoot Off Visual Media Workshops website.

Sunshine Week Events for Thursday, March 14th

Sunshine Week Events in the D.C area for Thursday, March 14th:

Secrecy and Security: The Future of Classification ReformThe Brennan Center for Justice, Washington, DC
The Brennan Center will host a panel discussion March 14 from 12-1:30 p.m. at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. Panelists will include Nancy Soderberg, chair of the Public Interest Declassification Board; Robert S. Litt, general counsel, Office of the Director of National Intelligence; former Director of the Information Security Oversight Office, J. William Leonard; Steven Aftergood, director of the Project on Government Secrecy, Federation of American Scientists; and Elizabeth Goitein, co-director of the Brennan Center’s Liberty and National Security Program. More details will be available soon on the Brennan Center website.

Cato XML (event to be held Thursday and Friday)The Cato Institute, Washington, DC
The Cato is hosting a Sunshine Week workshop looking at legislative data and Wikipedia. The first session, Thursday from 2:30-5:30 p.m., is designed for people of all technical skill levels and will cover Wikipedia editing, policies and culture. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop. Immediately following at 5:30 p.m., Cato will host a Sunshine Week reception. Friday’s daylong workshop for qualified Wikipedians and legislative data practitioners will be led by Pete Forsyth of Wiki Strategies, and is about making Wikipedia more informative about legislation and public policy. Participants can select one or all of the sessions and reception to attend. More information and registration information is on the Cato website.

How to Use the Freedom of Information ActNational Press Club, Washington, DC
As part of its Sunshine Week observances, the National Press Club will offer a panel discussion on using FOIA, moderated by Rick Dunham of the Houston Chronicle. Panelists will include Charles Babcock of Bloomberg News, Randy Rabinowitz from the Center for Effective Government, and Bill Allison of the Sunlight Foundation. The event is free to club members, $10 for non-members, and it is open to the public. For more information, see the NPC announcement.

Sunshine Week Meeting of the FOIA IT Working GroupOffice of Information Policy, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington
The OIP will convene a meeting at the Justice Department from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. of the FOIA IT Working Group, comprised of federal agency FOIA and technology professionals. Also invited to participate are technology specialists from civil society organizations and open government groups. Registration is required. More information is available from The FOIA Post

Sunshine Week Events for Wednesday, March 13th

Sunshine Week events in the D.C. area for Wednesday, March 13th:

Addressing Transparency in the Federal Bureaucracy: Moving Toward A More Open GovernmentU.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight & Government Reform
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing on open government issues beginning at 10 a.m. in the Rayburn House Office Building. Witnesses will be announced soon. For more information see, the Committee’s website.

We the People: Fulfilling the Promise of Open Government Five Years After The OPEN Government ActU.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC
At 10:30 a.m. in the Dirksen building, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing looking at the OPEN Government Act and freedom of information issues. Government witnesses will include Melanie Pustay, director of the Office of Information Policy, Department of Justice; and Miriam Nisbet, director of the Office of Government Information Services, National Archives and Records Administration. Additional witnesses are expected to be announced. Watch the Judiciary Committee’s website for more information.

OLC Memoranda: Does U.S. Secret Law Threaten Our Democracy?Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and
The George Washington University Law School, Washington, DC
From 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the GWU Law School in Washington, legal, media, academic and government experts on two panels will discuss the government’s use of secret opinions by the Office of Legal Counsel in the war on terrorism and whether such secrecy is justified. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) will present the opening remarks. See the event flier PDF for more information.

DC Open Government SummitDC Open Govt Coalition and the National Press Club, Washington
The DC Open Government Coalition and the National Press Club will co-host a discussion at the Press Club from 6-8:30 p.m. The event is free, but registration is required. For more information, go to the DCOGC website.

Sunshine Week Events for Tuesday, March 12th

Sunshine Week events in the D.C. area for Tuesday, March 12th:

Open Government in the Second TermCenter for Effective Government and the Electronic Privacy Information Center, Washington, DC
The Center for Effective Government (formerly OMB Watch) and EPIC will host two panel discussions from 1-3 p.m. examining transparency and national security issues in the Obama administration’s second term. The first panel will be moderated by Katherine McFate, president and CEO, Center for Effective Government; and panelists will include Corinna Zarek, Office of Government Information Services; Krista Boyd, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee; and Lisa Ellman, Office of Science and Technology Policy (invited). The second panel, moderated by Ginger McCall, director of EPIC’s Open Government Project, will include Tom Blanton, National Security Archive; Steve Aftergood, Federation of American Scientists; Scott Rosenthal, Sen. Jeff Merkley’s Office; Jim Harper, CATO Institute (invited). The event is free and open to the public and will be webcast at www.foreffectivegov.org/webcasts. For more information and to RSVP to attend in person or watch the webcast, go to the Center’s online form.

FOIA: Today’s Challenges and Tomorrow’s Opportunities
Congressional Transparency Caucus, Washington, DC
The Congressional Transparency Caucus will hold a 3 p.m. discussion in the House Rayburn Office Building on FOIA reform and what needs to be done to improve access to government records. Moderated by Sunlight Foundation Policy Counsel Daniel Schuman, the panel will include Office of Government Information Services Director Miriam Nisbet; Sunshine in Government Initiative Coordinator Rick Blum; Center for Effective Polciy Open Government Policy Analyst Gavin Baker; and Washington Examiner Investigative Reporter Rickard Pollock. The event is open to anyone, including Hill staff and interns. To RSVP, email Robyn Russell in the office of Co-chair Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), or Ali Ahmad who works with Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.). For more information, see the event invitation (PDF).

Anti-terrorism Laws and Press FreedomNational Press Club, Washington, DC
The National Press Club’s Freedom of the Press Committee will hold a panel discussion at 6:30 p.m. about the effect of laws enacted globally after Sept. 11, 2001 on press freedom. The panel will be moderated by NPC Press Freedom Committee Vice Chair Rachel Oswald, and panelists will include: Mohamed Keita, Africa advocacy coordinator for the Committee to Project Journalists; Frank Jannuzi, deputy executive director of advocacy, policy and research for Amnesty International USA; and Mark Feldstein, professor of broadcast journalism at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. The event is free and open to the public, although registration is requested. For more information and to register, go to the Press Club website.

Guns, Money & Secrets: A Sunshine Week Conversation About How Journalists Can Best Use Public Documents and DataGeorgetown University Master’s in Journalism Program
Georgetown students are invited to attend a 6:30 p.m. discussion at the Clarendon campus with Gregory Korte of USA Today and Derek Willis of The New York Times about public documents and data in recognition of Sunshine Week 2013. RSVP online here.

Sunshine Week Events for Monday, March 11th

Sunshine Week events in the DC area for Monday, March 11th:

Discussion and Viewing of the Freedom of Information ActOffice of Government Information Services
National Archives, Washington, DC
The National Archives and the Freedom of Information Act Ombudsman celebrate Sunshine Week at the Archives with a display of the original FOIA documents and remarks at 1 p.m. by Archivist of the United States David Ferriero and Office of Information Services Director Miriam Nisbet, immediately followed by a demonstration of FOIAonline, the recently launched multi-agency FOIA portal. The event is free, but registration is recommended. RSVP to ogis@nara.gov. More information is on the FOIA Ombudsman blog

Fourth Annual Department of Justice Sunshine Week CelebrationU.S. Department of Justice, Washington
The Justice Department will celebrate Sunshine Week with a program from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. with Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West, DOJ’s chief FOIA officer, who will lead a discussion of federal agencies’ improvements in FOIA administration since Attorney General Eric Holder’s guidelines were issued during Sunshine Week 2009. The event is open to agency personnel and the public, and picture ID will be required to enter the building. Register via email to DOJ.OIP.FOIA@usdoj.gov with the subject line “Sunshine Week.” For more information, see the DOJ website.

Sunshine Week Happy Hour & Madison’s Birthday CelebrationCitizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington, OpenTheGovernment.org, Project on Government Oversight, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Sunlight Foundation
Washington-area open-government groups and friends of transparency will partake of a Sunshine Week happy hour and celebration of James Madison’s birthday on Monday night from 6-8 p.m. There is no need to RSVP and there is no cover charge, but there will be a cash bar and maybe some birthday cake. The event will be at Cause, the Philanthropub, in the Treehouse room. For more information, see the Facebook invite.

It's Sunshine Week! March 10-16th

Next week is Sunshine Week!  Check out all the activites around town and around the nation, here.
Here are some of the many, many events in the D.C. area:

Monday, March 11th:

Discussion and Viewing of the Freedom of Information ActOffice of Government Information Services
National Archives, Washington, DC

The National Archives and the Freedom of Information Act Ombudsman celebrate Sunshine Week at the Archives with a display of the original FOIA documents and remarks at 1 p.m. by Archivist of the United States David Ferriero and Office of Information Services Director Miriam Nisbet, immediately followed by a demonstration of FOIAonline, the recently launched multi-agency FOIA portal. The event is free, but registration is recommended. RSVP to ogis@nara.gov. More information is on the FOIA Ombudsman blog.

Fourth Annual Department of Justice Sunshine Week CelebrationU.S. Department of Justice, Washington
The Justice Department will celebrate Sunshine Week with a program from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. with Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West, DOJ’s chief FOIA officer, who will lead a discussion of federal agencies’ improvements in FOIA administration since Attorney General Eric Holder’s guidelines were issued during Sunshine Week 2009. The event is open to agency personnel and the public, and picture ID will be required to enter the building. Register via email to DOJ.OIP.FOIA@usdoj.gov with the subject line “Sunshine Week.” For more information, see the DOJ website.

Wednesday, March 13th:

DC Open Government SummitDC Open Govt Coalition and the National Press Club, Washington
The DC Open Government Coalition and the National Press Club will co-host a discussion at the Press Club from 6-8:30 p.m. The event is free, but registration is required. For more information, go to the DCOGC website.

Thursday, March 14th:

How to Use the Freedom of Information ActNational Press Club, Washington, DC
As part of its Sunshine Week observances, the National Press Club will offer a panel discussion on using FOIA, moderated by Rick Dunham of the Houston Chronicle. Panelists will include Charles Babcock of Bloomberg News, Randy Rabinowitz from the Center for Effective Government, and Bill Allison of the Sunlight Foundation. The event is free to club members, $10 for non-members, and it is open to the public. For more information, see the NPC announcement.

Friday, March 15th:

 Luncheon and Speaker Thomas DrakeNational Press Club, Washington, DC
The National Press Club will host former National Security Agency analyst Thomas Drake, a government whistleblower charged under the Espionage Act, at a luncheon beginning at 12:30 p.m., followed by Drake’s remarks and a question-and-answer period. Tickets are $21 for members (limit 2) and $35 for non-members.For more information and to make reservations, visit the Press Club website.

Thursday and Friday:

Cato XMLThe Cato Institute, Washington, DC
The Cato is hosting a Sunshine Week workshop looking at legislative data and Wikipedia. The first session, Thursday from 2:30-5:30 p.m., is designed for people of all technical skill levels and will cover Wikipedia editing, policies and culture. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop. Immediately following at 5:30 p.m., Cato will host a Sunshine Week reception. Friday’s daylong workshop for qualified Wikipedians and legislative data practitioners will be led by Pete Forsyth of Wiki Strategies, and is about making Wikipedia more informative about legislation and public policy. Participants can select one or all of the sessions and reception to attend. More information and registration information is on the Cato website.

BECAUSE OPEN GOVERNMENT IS GOOD GOVERNMENT.