ALA on FISA

http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=367

One professional association's take on recent Congressional action pertaining to FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act).

MPR on 2008 Leglislature

Minnesota Public Radio has a literal handful of points of access to the state legislative process. The best thing to do is to check them out and see which best fit your learning style, taste in technology,and tolerance level.

2008 Legislature
Minnesota Legislature collection: The latest news
Votetracker: Follow key legislation
Fantasy Legislature: Draft a team of legislators
Polinaut: Blog exploring politics
Policast: Podcast of political coverage

Walz calls for better access to soldiers' medical records

Minnesota Rep. Tim Walz has just returned from his first trip to Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Germany. Walz said the trip gave him a renewed sense of urgency to improve access to soldiers' medical records. Learn more on MPR.

McCollum Calls for Renewed Investigation of Data Tape Privacy Risks

Notes from the office of Congressman McCollum relating to Imation tape issue:

McCollum Calls for Renewed Investigation of Data Tape Privacy Risks
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 Imation recovers bank account numbers from used data devices that GAO deemed “a low security risk”

2007 Intelligence Authorization Bill Advances in Senate

2007 Intelligence Authorization Bill Advances in Senate

The 2007 intelligence authorization bill was approved without amendment on February 8 by the Senate Armed Services Committee with a recommendation that it be passed into law.
The Senate bill would notably require public disclosure of the annual intelligence budget total, an objective long sought by open government advocates and classification reformers. Although there is no credible national security rationale for withholding the amount of the intelligence budget, it remains formally classified.

The Committee issued a brief report on the pending intelligence bill.

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence held a closed hearing February 8 on Saudi Arabia and the reputed role of some Saudis in financing terrorist activities.

The hearing was held at the request of SSCI member Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) who described his perspective on the subject in a rather blunt statement on the Senate floor.
"It is time to bring to light the way in which Saudi oil money is fueling the fires of terrorism so people can actually see who is getting burned and what is necessary to protect the security and the well-being of Americans in a perilous world," he said.
dated 2/9/07