And the "secret senator" who did not want to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act is ...

RagingInMiami

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Thu May-31-07 09:37 PM
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And the "secret senator" who did not want to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act is ...

Jon Kyl of Arizona.

Would you believe it? A republican.

In case you don't know what I'm talking about, I posted a thread a few days ago that was actually a cut and paste from an e-mail I received from the Society of Professional Journalists.

Today, I received another e-mail from SPJ that revealed the senator in question was none other than Jon Kyl. Just another reason why I'm glad to have moved out of Arizona. A cut and paste of today's e-mail is below.

�SECRET SENATOR� REVEALED. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) is the first to earn the title �Senator Secrecy� for placing a secret hold on Senate Bill 849, also known as the Open Government Act of 2007. The bill would significantly reform the federal Freedom of Information Act, which is one of the strongest tools Americans have to supervise the inner workings of government and to hold elected officials accountable.

Ryan Patmintra, Kyl�s press secretary, confirmed that Kyl placed the hold to allow for more negotiations among him, bill co-sponsor Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and the U.S. Justice Department. It�s no secret that Kyl has concerns about the Open Government Act, Patmintra said.

�If Sen. Kyl�s concerns are no secret, then why would he insist on working from the shadows to place a hold on this very important legislation?� asked Christine Tatum, SPJ�s National President and an assistant features editor at The Denver Post. �The irony of secretly blocking a vote on a bill that would make government more transparent is supreme. Sen. Kyl should feel pretty silly.�

Kyl is behind another bill that concerns SPJ. Known as the Kyl Amendment, it would criminalize the leaking � and publishing � of classified information.

�So, Sen. Kyl is �Senator Secrecy� in more ways than one,� Tatum said.

Is Kyl the only senator who placed hold on the Open Government Act of 2007? Only a few senators have not yet responded to SPJ�s questioning. We�ll continue to make calls and keep you posted.

ABOUT BILL 849. The Senate Judiciary Committee on April 12 passed the Open Government Act, sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). The bill would strengthen the federal Freedom of Information Act, reduce delays in releasing government records, and hold public officials accountable.

The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a similar measure in March. But that bill was blocked from reaching the Senate floor for a May 24 vote because Senator Kyl placed a secret hold on the bill. It�s unclear at this time if he was acting alone.

WHAT YOU CAN DO. Together, we can determine if Senator Kyl had help. Visit SPJ�S �Senator Secrecy� page and see whether your senators already have been called or if they did not already comment. Ask simply and politely if they are working with Kyl. While you�re on the line, please make clear that you support the Open Government Act � and thatyou want your senator to do the same. Then submit your findings. We�ll add it to the online tally.

OTHER OPTIONS. You�re in a prime position to shed light on the Open Government Act and apply pressure where it is needed most. In addition to calling your senators, please consider the following:

� Write letters and send e-mails to your senators about the importance of the Open Government Act. All senators have a contact section on their personal Web sites. Visit the United States Senate Web site to locate your senator. Many senators will only respond to residents in their home state, another reason to think locally.

� Raise awareness and encourage members of your newsroom to write stories about this issue.

� Host a brown bag lunch meeting in your newsroom or on your campus where this matter can be openly discussed.