Publication Items

Groups FOIA Federal Rules for Allowing Petroleum Export Ban Exceptions [1]

For decades, U.S. politicians have made energy independence a patriotic platitude — with one result being a ban on exporting crude oil produced in the U.S. Now some oil companies are getting exceptions to the export ban for a product called "condensate," and the Commerce Department won't say why. So a coalition of environmental groups have filed a Freedom of Information Act request to find out.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Energy & Fuel [3]
Government [4]
Laws & Regulations [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Groups FOIA Federal Rules for Allowing Petroleum Export Ban Exceptions [1]
Sunshine Week Highlights Open Government March 15-21 [7]

News media and open-government groups across the country will field events March 15-21, 2015, to emphasize the importance of freedom of information to democratic government. Here is a short preliminary list of some major Sunshine Week events already scheduled.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [4]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Sunshine Week Highlights Open Government March 15-21 [7]
Legislators from Both Parties Move FOIA Bills Despite Bank Lobby, FTC [8]

The Senate Judiciary Committee, despite changing from Democrat to Republican control, unanimously approved a FOIA bill (S 337) on February 5, 2015. A similar House bill (HR 653) was introduced February 2 and awaits action by the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [4]
Laws & Regulations [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Legislators from Both Parties Move FOIA Bills Despite Bank Lobby, FTC [8]
More Secret Reports from Congressional Research Service [9]

Nobody has ever explained why Congress refuses to release the tax-funded explainers produced by the Congressional Research Service. They are a gold standard for journalists needing quick background. Here are some recent CRS reports relevant to environmental journalists, helpfully released by the Federation of American Scientists.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [10]
Disasters [11]
Energy & Fuel [3]
Government [4]
Health [12]
Natural Resources [13]
Nuclear Power & Radiation [14]
Water & Oceans [15]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about More Secret Reports from Congressional Research Service [9]
FOIA Reform Is Dead; Long Live FOIA Reform [16]

Legislation to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act, a key journalist's tool, died in the final hours of the do-nothing 113th Congress — but hopes remain that the coming 114th Congress could pass the bipartisan package. The bill's Senate passage was delayed by a "hold" placed on it by retiring Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), whose reasons were not clearly explained but were apparently due to banking interests' fears.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Economy & Business [17]
Government [4]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about FOIA Reform Is Dead; Long Live FOIA Reform [16]
Congress Could Still Pass FOIA Reform [18]

There is still a chance that Congress could pass legislation strengthening the Freedom of Information Act before it adjourns. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a fix-FOIA bill (S 2520) November 20, 2014, setting up the possibility of full-Senate floor action. The Society of Environmental Journalists has urged Congress and the President to support such legislation.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [4]
Journalism & Media [19]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Congress Could Still Pass FOIA Reform [18]
FOIA Bill Could Still Pass Lame Duck [20]

There is still hope (and perhaps time) for this Congress to pass a bill strengthening the Freedom of Information Act. The Senate Judiciary seems likely to mark up a revised FOIA reform bill Thursday, November 20, 2014. After that will come a push to bring it to the Senate floor and eventually reconcile with a FOIA bill already passed by the House.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [4]
Laws & Regulations [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about FOIA Bill Could Still Pass Lame Duck [20]
SEJ Urges Obama to Take Stand on Bipartisan FOIA Bills [21]

The Society of Environmental Journalists wrote President Barack Obama October 23, 2014, urging him to take a strong position supporting legislation that would strengthen the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Bipartisan FOIA improvements may be one of the few pieces of legislation with a chance to clear the lame duck 113th Congress before control shifts to Republicans in 2015.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [4]
Journalism & Media [19]
Laws & Regulations [5]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about SEJ Urges Obama to Take Stand on Bipartisan FOIA Bills [21]
Interior IG Releases Few Investigative Reports [22]

Of the 457 investigations closed by the Interior Department's Inspector General's office last year, the office released public reports on only three. Not only were many of the reports withheld or redacted, but even the list of investigations was redacted before it was released.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Environmental Politics [23]
Government [4]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Interior IG Releases Few Investigative Reports [22]
Lame-Duck Congress Could Pass Freedom-of-Information Bill [24]

The coming lame-duck session is the last opportunity for Congress to enact a bipartisan bill that would make modest improvements in the Freedom of Information Act. Will transparency trump gridlock when Congress returns after the November 4, 2014, midterm elections? That remains to be seen.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [4]
Visibility:
Public [6]
- Read more about Lame-Duck Congress Could Pass Freedom-of-Information Bill [24]

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