Grassley Legislation to Promote Greater Public Access to Federal Courtrooms Clears Committee

WASHINGTON - Legislation introduced by Chuck Grassley to allow federal trial and appellate judges to permit cameras in the courtroom today passed the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Grassley, along with Senator Charles Schumer of New York, have led efforts over the last several years to ensure the sun shines in on the federal courts.   The bill has broad bi-partisan support and has passed the Judiciary Committee several times.  The legislation has the support of the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

"Our judicial system is one of the best kept secrets in the United States.  Letting the sun shine in on federal courtrooms will give Americans an opportunity to better understand the judicial process.  This bill is the best way to maintain confidence and accountability in the judicial system and help judges do a better job," Grassley said.  "Cameras in our federal courts will be a tremendous learning tool for the American people and with the safeguards in place we have really good bill to help bring our courts into the 21st century."

Grassley said that states, including Iowa, have had great success in allowing the sun to shine on the court system.  Grassley also noted that the bill has safeguards in place to protect vulnerable witnesses, to exclude jurors from broadcast, and to allow a judge to use his or her discretion in determining whether to allow cameras in the courtroom.

During the confirmation hearings for the three most recent Supreme Court Justice nominees, Grassley asked the nominees about their support for allowing cameras in court proceedings.  The nominees indicated that they would consider having cameras in the courts.  Grassley expects to ask the President's next nominee as well.

The bipartisan "Sunshine in the Courtroom" bill allows the chief judge of federal trial appellate courts to permit cameras in their courtrooms.  The bill also directs the Judicial Conference, the principal policy-making entity for the federal courts, to draft nonbinding guidelines that judges can refer to in making a decision pertaining to the coverage of a particular case.  It also instructs the Judicial Conference to issue mandatory guidelines for obscuring vulnerable witnesses such as undercover officers, victims of crime, and their families.

Forty-eight states currently permit some form of audio-video coverage in their courtrooms and at least 37 directly televise trials.  Studies and surveys conducted in many of those states have confirmed that electronic media coverage of trials boosts public understanding of the court system without interfering with court proceedings.  Fifteen states have conducted studies aimed specifically at the educational benefits that are derived from camera access to courtrooms.  They all determined that camera coverage contributes to greater public understanding of the judicial system.

In order to provide a mechanism for Congress to study the effects of this legislation on the judiciary before making this change permanent, a three-year sunset provision is included in the bill.

The "Sunshine in the Courtroom" bill does not require a federal judge in a federal court to allow camera access to judicial proceedings.  The bill gives federal judges the discretion to allow cameras or other electronic media access if they see fit.  The bill also protects the privacy and safety of non-party witnesses by giving them the right to have their faces and voices obscured.

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State Ranks Third in Nation for Transparency of Spending

CHICAGO - April 17, 2010. Governor Pat Quinn today highlighted Illinois' efforts to improve transparency. The U.S. Public Interest  Research Group (PIRG) this week gave Illinois a "B" and ranked it third in the nation for improved transparency of government spending.

"In a democracy, the people must have a voice in their government, and their government must be held accountable," said Governor Quinn. "U.S. PIRG's report shows that we have made great strides in improving transparency, but our work is not done and we will continue to expand on our efforts."

On Tuesday, PIRG released "FOLLOWING THE MONEY: How the 50 States Rate in Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data." The report examined all 50 states and found that 32 provide detailed online databases of government expenditures. Seven states, including Illinois, were seen as national leaders for having easy-to-use, searchable Web sites that contain a wide range of spending information.

Illinois was recognized for its Corporate Accountability site, ILCorpacct.com, which is maintained by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). The site tracks grants given to companies for job creation and provides yearly progress on the numbers of jobs actually created. The site will have received approximately 1 million hits since its creation.

"It is our responsibility to ensure that the public's money is being used in the best possible manner, to further the state's job creation and economic development goals," said DCEO Director Warren Ribley. "We are pleased that our Corporate Accountability and Grant Tracker sites are helping bring state government into the light."

Additional efforts by the state to further enhance the transparency and accessibility of state government include :

· Illinois Sunshine Portal (Sunshine.Illinois.gov) - A new one-stop shop where the public can review many public records and documents online. Through the site, citizens can access detailed information on state employee pay and state expenditures via the Illinois Transparency and Accountability site; review public facilities' inspection reports, including those for schools and nursing homes; and much more.

· Grant Tracker (www.ildceo.net/granttracker) - This new site gives citizens greater access to information about DCEO grant recipients, where the money was spent, and for what purpose. Visitors can search by numerous grant categories, funding streams, regions and by organization name.

· Illinois Hospital Report Card and Consumer Guide to Health Care (www.healthcarereportcard.illinois.gov) - This site helps people make better health care choices by becoming better informed consumers. The site offers information on the volume and cost of services in hospitals and treatment centers statewide, quality and safety data, and patient satisfaction surveys.

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By Senator Tom Harkin

This week we observe National Library Week - a good time to think about the important contributions our libraries and librarians make in our communities.  First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is an observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April.  This year's theme is "Communities thrive @ your library" - and I could not agree more.   Libraries have always been there for our communities.  Today they provide a place for people - no matter their income - to access the internet and all the information it provides.  And they still serve, as they always have, as places to do in depth research, to discover a new book, to hold discussions or just a place for kids to escape into their imagination. 

The growth of public libraries in Iowa is a unique story.  Between 1892 and 1917 Andrew Carnegie provided funds for 101 community libraries - 49 of which are still in use today - and seven academic libraries across the state.  In fact, Iowa was one of the top beneficiaries of Carnegie's efforts to promote libraries.

And these libraries could not function without the dedication of our librarians.  These trained professionals often go un-thanked but really play an important part in preserving our literary history and helping us get the information we need.  I am grateful to them for all of their hard work.

During National Library Week, we are also reminded of the importance of reading skills in a child's development.  Unfortunately, a wide literacy gap exists between our nation's disadvantaged children and those with greater resources, but parental efforts to read to and with their children on a daily basis can promote the literacy of all children.  Research proves that reading aloud with children is the single most important activity for helping them become successful readers.  I fondly remember being read to as a child and reading to my two daughters when they were young.  That's why every week I participate in a program called "Everybody Wins!"  The organization's mission - one mentor, one child, one book at a time - is a testimony to the impact volunteers can have on a child's life.  Many libraries and schools across the country offer a similar program and during this week I encourage everyone to read to the children in their lives and consider participating in a similar program in their community.

Libraries all over the county, whether public or academic, are doing their part in bridging the literacy gap this week and all year, often hosting guest speakers and poetry readings, providing library assistance programs, arts and crafts sessions and other programs.  I recommend you check out your local library to participate or volunteer or even find out more about getting a library card.

For more information on National Library Week, please visit:  http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/pio/natlibraryweek/nlw.cfm

WASHINGTON - Senator Chuck Grassley today said that the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration has awarded five grants totaling nearly $30 million to Iowa communities that are still recovering from severe flooding over the last several years.

The Economic Development Administration serves as a venture capital resource to meet the economic development needs of distressed communities throughout the United States through the promotion of innovation and competitiveness and preparing regions for growth and success in the global economy.

According to the Economic Development Administration, the disaster recovery projects work to minimize economic dislocations resulting from natural and other disasters, improving responsiveness and effectiveness in the recovery process.

The Economic Development Administration has awarded funds as described below.

· Columbus Junction will receive $2,902,500 to help construct a new water treatment facility outside the floodplain.

· Dubuque will receive $1.5 million to help construct a multi-level parking facility.

· Iowa City will receive $22 million to help relocate the north wastewater treatment facility out of the Iowa River floodplain and $3 million to help design and perform engineering work to reconstruct and elevate Dubuque Street and the Park Road Bridge.

· Shenandoah will receive $232,500 to reconstruct storm sewer infrastructure in downtown Shenandoah.

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