“The secrecy reflex at some agencies remains firmly in place,” said Tom Curley.

Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing (audio) on, “Advancing Freedom of Information in the New Era of Responsibility.”

The witness list included (with names linked to statements):  The Honorable Thomas J. Perrelli (Associate Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice),  Miriam Nisbet (Director,  Office of Government Information Services, National Archives and Records Administration), Tom Curley (President and CEO, The Associated Press, Representing the Sunshine in Government Initiative), and  Meredith Fuchs (General Counsel, The National Security Archive ).

For coverage of this hearing, see stories in the AP, Washington Post, and ProPublica.

From the AP story:

“[Senators] Leahy and Cornyn have introduced legislation [S.612] that would require any such exemptions included in legislation to be clearly stated, rather than buried. The legislation has passed the Senate twice but has not yet been considered by the House.”