Publication Items

Maryland Legislature Threatens Law Clinic For Defending Chesapeake Bay [1]

In the face of public outrage (and press coverage), the legislature partially backed down — but kept a requirement that the law clinic report to the legislature on whom it represented.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [3]
Water & Oceans [4]
Government [5]
Region:
Mid-Atlantic (DC DE MD PA VA WV) [6]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about Maryland Legislature Threatens Law Clinic For Defending Chesapeake Bay [1]
Federal Anti-SLAPP Bill Could Help Bloggers, Freelancers [8]

A bill to protect journalists and citizens against "Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation" suits has been introduced in Congress but is unlikely to go far unless more members get behind it.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [3]
Government [5]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about Federal Anti-SLAPP Bill Could Help Bloggers, Freelancers [8]
New Move Afoot To Let Taxpayers Read CRS Reports They Pay For [10]

A proposed bill would give the public better access to information about members' personal financial information, travel and gift reports, funding earmarks, committee work and reports, recorded floor votes, lobbyist registration and disclosure, and political contributions.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Laws & Regulations [3]
Government [5]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about New Move Afoot To Let Taxpayers Read CRS Reports They Pay For [10]
Deadline for Fed Agency Open Government Plans Is Today, April 7 [11]

As this issue of the
WatchDog
went to press, major environmental agencies had not yet posted their plans online. Find links to look for them here.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [5]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about Deadline for Fed Agency Open Government Plans Is Today, April 7 [11]
EPA Releases HERO Risk Assessment Database [12]

The Health and Environmental Research Online database compiles references to scientific studies that EPA uses in making regulatory decisions.

SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Health [13]
Laws & Regulations [3]
Government [5]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about EPA Releases HERO Risk Assessment Database [12]
EPA Makes TSCA Inventory Available Online for Free [14]

But the list — the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Substance Inventory — is still minus some 17,000 chemicals that manufacturers allege are trade secrets.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Economy & Business [15]
Chemicals [16]
Government [5]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about EPA Makes TSCA Inventory Available Online for Free [14]
Senate Trio's Climate Bill Said To Hide Info on Fracking Poisons [17]

A March 23, 2010, Greenwire article reports that the draft Kerry-Lieberman-Graham climate bill may include language to keep potentially toxic ingredients from gas drilling secret from the public whose health may be harmed by them.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [18]
Energy & Fuel [19]
Health [13]
Laws & Regulations [3]
Pollution [20]
Water & Oceans [4]
Technology [21]
Environmental Health [22]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about Senate Trio's Climate Bill Said To Hide Info on Fracking Poisons [17]
SEJ Comments on How To Make EPA More Open [23]

SEJ's suggestions included an end to requiring Saddam-style "minders" and press-office permissions before reporters could talk to EPA scientists and staff; prompter PIO callbacks and interviews; an end to automatic "background;" and more.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [5]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about SEJ Comments on How To Make EPA More Open [23]
SEJ Supports 'Faster FOIA' Bill [24]

Bill S 3111, introduced on March 15, 2010, by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy and cosponsored by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), would create a panel to study ways to reduce FOIA delays.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Government [5]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about SEJ Supports 'Faster FOIA' Bill [24]
White House May Urge Greater NEPA Transparency [25]

New NEPA policies proposed in February by the Council on Environmental Quality cover climate impacts; findings of no impact and requirements for monitoring; categorical exclusions; and better tools for reporting to the public on NEPA activities.
SEJ Publication Types:
WatchDog TipSheet [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Climate Change [18]
Laws & Regulations [3]
Government [5]
Policy [26]
Region:
National (U.S.) [9]
Visibility:
Public [7]
- Read more about White House May Urge Greater NEPA Transparency [25]

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