http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php We are an alliance of political reformers and policy researchers committed to improving democratic institutions in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. en stephengeinosky@gmail.com Copyright 2010 2010-03-19T01:06:50+00:00 http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/illinois_and_wisconsin_look_for_ways_to_improve_on_transparency/ http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/illinois_and_wisconsin_look_for_ways_to_improve_on_transparency/#When:01:06:50Z Illinois and Wisconsin are spending this Sunshine Week improving each state’s public access to government records.In order to increase accountability and openness in Illinois’ state government, Gov. Patt Quinn announced the launch of the Sunshine Illinois Accountability Project web site.The web site breaks the public records into six categories, state government,  education, health and safety, elections, consumer and transportation.Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan created the office of public access counselor in 2004 to make sure governments in the state are following the Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act policies. And to help the state’s second public access counselor, Cara Smith, the state passed stronger FOIA laws that went into effect Jan. 1.In an interview with the Southtown Star, Smith explained that because of the changes to the FOIA laws, governments will be held more accountable in providing public records.The most difficult challenge, Smith explained, was distilling any fear that the changes would negatively affect local governments.“We had some just hostile, hostile, hostile audiences, hundreds of public servants gathered to tell me how I was going to be putting people out of work,  how the world was literally coming to an end,” Smith said. “A lot of the lead-up to the first of the year was fear about what this was going to bring, and I don’t think the fear has been realized.”When prompted with a question about FOIA requests, Smith said her initial response is to ask the individual what procedures they currently implement, then make any needed corrections.An Appleton,  Wisconsin’ Post Crescent editorial stressed the importance of transparency in government.It stresses that Sunshine Week was created to help the public gain access to public records, and the government should be striving to repair “tattered trust” when it comes to transparency.“Many government bodies would prefer to operate, at least partially, in secret,” reads the editorial. “It’s harder work — and potentially embarrassing — to open up the records, the meetings, the transcripts.”To get involved with Sunshine Week, contact the state or regional coordinators for your area or e-mail Sunshine Week coordinator Cristal Williams Chancellor at cwilliams@asne.org.Editorial New Web Site introduced to create more transparency in honor of Sunshine Week - The Daily Illini Ethics in Government, Open Government, News, Illinois, Wisconsin 2010-03-19T01:06:50+00:00 http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/illinois_and_wisconsin_look_for_ways_to_improve_on_transparency1/ http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/illinois_and_wisconsin_look_for_ways_to_improve_on_transparency1/#When:00:41:46Z Illinois and Wisconsin are spending this Sunshine Week improving each state’s public access to government records.In order to increase accountability and openness in Illinois’ state government, Gov. Patt Quinn announced the launch of the Sunshine Illinois Accountability Project web site.The web site breaks the public records into six categories, state government,  education, health and safety, elections, consumer and transportation.Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan created the office of public access counselor in 2004 to make sure governments in the state are following the Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act policies. And to help the state’s second public access counselor, Cara Smith, the state passed stronger FOIA laws that went into effect Jan. 1.In an interview with the Southtown Star, Smith explained that because of the changes to the FOIA laws, governments will be held more accountable in providing public records.The most difficult challenge, Smith explained, was distilling any fear that the changes would negatively affect local governments.“We had some just hostile, hostile, hostile audiences, hundreds of public servants gathered to tell me how I was going to be putting people out of work,  how the world was literally coming to an end,” Smith said. “A lot of the lead-up to the first of the year was fear about what this was going to bring, and I don’t think the fear has been realized.”When prompted with a question about FOIA requests, Smith said her initial response is to ask the individual what procedures they currently implement, then make any needed corrections.An Appleton,  Wisconsin’ Post Crescent editorial stressed the importance of transparency in government.It stresses that Sunshine Week was created to help the public gain access to public records, and the government should be striving to repair “tattered trust” when it comes to transparency.“Many government bodies would prefer to operate, at least partially, in secret,” reads the editorial. “It’s harder work — and potentially embarrassing — to open up the records, the meetings, the transcripts.”To get involved with Sunshine Week, contact the state or regional coordinators for your area or e-mail Sunshine Week coordinator Cristal Williams Chancellor at cwilliams@asne.org.Editorial New Web Site introduced to create more transparency in honor of Sunshine Week - The Daily Illini Ethics in Government, Open Government, News, Illinois, Wisconsin 2010-03-19T00:41:46+00:00 http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/lwvmn_looks_into_minnesotas_transparency/ http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/lwvmn_looks_into_minnesotas_transparency/#When:21:16:30Z Sunshine Week is in full swing and the League of Women Voters of Minnesota is seeing how transparent Minnesota really is.According to the Marion Brechner Citizen Access Project, Minnesota ranks highly in its application of the data practices act to all government agencies and minimizing fees for people requesting access to view a record.The state didn’t fare so well in maintainting separate indices for public data stored on computers,  records that are not kept by the agency from which the records are sought, the lack of time frame in responding to public requests,  computer purchasing requirements, no statement on records pertaining to public schools, a lack of the application of the open meeting law to party caucuses, the lack of guidance for destroying public records, and for not designating any requirement of notification to the press, public or sex offenders about the posting of sex offender registry information on the Internet.Each state is rated on a 7-point scale, with a seven indicating the section allows the most access.Investigative Reporters and Editors also ranked each state by their ability to comply with the Freedom of Information Act. Minnesota was given a D and ranked 40th out of 50 states. Response time, appeals and penalties helped put Minnesota low on the list.Sunshine Week is a movement to showcase the importance of open government and the freedom of information in government. Led by The American Society of News Editors, it began in 2005 and coincides with National FOI Day on March 16.To get involved with Sunshine Week, contact the state or regional coordinators for your area or e-mail Sunshine Week coordinator Cristal Williams Chancellor at cwilliams@asne.org. Ethics in Government, Open Government, Reports, Minnesota 2010-03-17T21:16:30+00:00 http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/league_of_women_voters_of_minnesota_issues_challenge_attend_one_public_meet/ http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/league_of_women_voters_of_minnesota_issues_challenge_attend_one_public_meet/#When:13:57:43Z As part of their Sunshine Week campaign to promote open government, the League of Women Voters of Minnesota has challenged residents of the state to in the next 30 days attend one public meeting. “Attend a hearing, be it a meeting of a park board, a city council or a legislative committee, and see what they are talking about,” writes Laura Fredrick Wang on the LWV Minnesota’s State of Democracy Minnesota blog.  Open Government, News, Minnesota 2010-03-17T13:57:43+00:00 http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/citizens_united_to_wisconsin_democracy_campaign_stop_using_our_name/ http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/citizens_united_to_wisconsin_democracy_campaign_stop_using_our_name/#When:18:59:23Z The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign today received by certified mail a letter from a Virginia law firm representing the group Citizens United claiming that a protest of the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission organized by WDC represents trademark infringement. Read the letter. Campaign Finance Reform, News, Wisconsin 2010-03-15T18:59:23+00:00 http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/justice_ginsburg_backs_end_to_judicial_elections/ http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/justice_ginsburg_backs_end_to_judicial_elections/#When:20:11:44Z According to Gavel Grab, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has plunged into an intense debate and endorsed an end to local and state elections of judges. At a question-and-answer session Thursday before the National Association of Women Judges, Justice Ginsburg said she believes states should cease electing judges, according to a Washington Post article. “If there’s a reform I would make, it would be that,” she said. Retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has become a champion of ending judicial elections and has traveled nationally to endorse the appointment system known as merit selection (see Gavel Grab). She has said partisan judicial elections and the fundraising that goes with them harm the ability of judges to be impartial. Justices Ginsburg and O’Connor are friends. Justice Ginsburg approves of her former colleague’s campaign, according to the Associated Press, At the gathering in Washington on Thursday, Justice Ginsburg did not give details about replacing judicial elections, according to the Post,  but spoke of concerns about fundraising and campaign promises. The justice pointed out that she had dissented in 2002 when the high court ruled that states could not restrict the kinds of issues discussed by judicial candidates. In Republican Party of Minnesota v. White,  the court struck down as unconstitutional a state rule barring a judicial candidate from announcing his views “on disputed legal or political issues.” According to the Post, Justice Ginsburg labeled  the majority’s ruling the “Gertrude Stein” decision: “An election is an election is an election.” In 39 states, at least some appellate and major trial court judges faces the voters, either in traditional competitive elections or in up-or-down “retention” elections. Twenty-two states hold at least some competitive elections for Supreme Court justices. You can learn more about appointment and retention systems from Justice at Stake’s issues page about them. Campaign Finance Reform, Election Law & Voting Rights, News, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin 2010-03-12T20:11:44+00:00 http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/senate_committee_holds_hearing_over_citizens_united/ http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/senate_committee_holds_hearing_over_citizens_united/#When:22:45:39Z The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing Wednesday about whether proposed legislation could change the Citizens United outcome and reinstate limits.According to The New York Times, witnesses approached the Senate committee claiming citizens around the country are “freaking out” over the Supreme Court’s decision.Former chairman of the Federal Election Commission Bradley Smith told the committee it is the lawmakers who are overreacting to the decision to allow corporations to donate to federal election campaigns.Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota, said her constituents are “freaking out” because they are worried their interests will be overshadowed by corporate spending on elections.The entire hearing didn’t focus on reactions to the decision though. Jeffrey Rosen, professor at George Washington University Law School, told the committee Congress will have a difficult time fixing the Supreme Court’s decision.Reactions to Citizens UnitedCitizens United changed everything -  Huffington PostSo far, they’re just not buyin’ in -  Law.comThat’s my money you’re using - Forbes Campaign Finance Reform, News, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin 2010-03-11T22:45:39+00:00 http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/ohio_redistricting_forum_highlights_potential_reforms/ http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/ohio_redistricting_forum_highlights_potential_reforms/#When:04:32:18Z COLUMBUS - State Senator Jon Husted and State Representative Tom Letson outlined their different plans to change Ohio’s redistricting process at a recent forum in downtown Columbus. Redistricting, News, Ohio 2010-03-11T04:32:18+00:00 http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/nonprofits_making_a_major_impact_on_redistricting_reform/ http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/nonprofits_making_a_major_impact_on_redistricting_reform/#When:21:30:44Z Redistricting reform could significantly impact the country’s democracy after the 2010 census. And as awareness rises, nonprofits are increasing their efforts in advocating for a process that is independent, non partisan and fair, according to OMB Watch. The League of Women Voters has played a major role in redistricting across the country. In New York, the League hosted a forum on redistricting where political science professor and director of the SUNY New Paltz Center for Regional Research Gerald Benjamin said an independent panel should handle redistricting. The League has also been active in Ohio and Illinois, working with legislators to push for redistricting reform. Other nonprofit groups that have made a major impact on redistricting reform include Americans for Redistricting Reform, Campaign Legal Center and FairDistrictsFlorida.org. Read the full article here. Redistricting, News, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin 2010-03-10T21:30:44+00:00 http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/dems_ask_fec_if_they_can_use_soft_money_for_redistricting_fights/ http://midwestdemocracynetwork.org/index.php/reports/article/dems_ask_fec_if_they_can_use_soft_money_for_redistricting_fights/#When:21:12:46Z A Democratic group is asking the Federal Election Committee if they can side-step a 2002 law that restricts members from raising soft money for their campaigns.According to the Hartford Courant, the National Democratic Redistricting Trust is asking the FEC to allow them to raise soft money so they can fight legal battles that are likely to occur after districts are redrawn after this year’s census.The NDRT formed last year to head the Democrat party’s legal strategy in redistricting.While organizations similar to NDRT have raised soft money in the past, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act eliminated the ability to raise soft money.According to Roll Call, Republicans have traditionally relied on soft money for redistricting, while Democrats have used labor unions and other outside groups to raise funds. Democrats were funded by IMPAC 2000, a 527 organization, during the last round of redistricting, which raised $7.7 million from 2000 to 2003.The American Majority Project recently created their own 527 organization to help Republicans in the redistricting process. The largest donation collected by AMP to date is $50,000 by the tobacco company Altria.The Midwest Democracy Network is working on collecting groups who are involved in influencing the redistricting process so far. This is our current list:National Democratic Redistricting TrustAmerican Majority ProjectIMPAC 2000The Redistricting Majority ProjectIf you know of any other groups, please contact us at midwestdemocracynetwork@gmail.com. Campaign Finance Reform, Ethics in Government, Redistricting, News, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin 2010-03-09T21:12:46+00:00