New information bill deserves swift OK
The prospect of lengthy confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee over the Supreme Court nomination of John Roberts threatens to derail another important piece of Senate business: Improving our nation's freedom of information laws.
If the information package dies, it would be a disservice to all consumers of government information across the country. And, make no mistake, that means all of us.
Before the Judiciary Committee is a bill that would tweak existing freedom of information (access to public information) laws in several important ways, including:
This bill will hardly settle all issues regarding government control of information and a citizen's desire to get that information. The tension between the two is inevitable.
But the bill would help level a playing field that has steadily tipped toward those who would hold and control information rather than to the taxpayers who desire to see what their dollars have produced.
The Judiciary Committee should approve this bill and send it on for a vote.
To let the Judiciary Committee know how you feel on this issue, call (202) 224-5225 or go to its Web site at www .judiciary.senate.gov.
