Rep. Steve Horn Receives
2003 James Madison Award
Former U.S. Representative Steve Horn (R-Calif.), the leading architect of the current government-wide security-classification system, has received the American Library Association’s 14th annual James Madison Award, which recognizes efforts to promote government openness.
Horn, who retired last year after being redistricted out of his territory, was cited for speaking out against both the abuse of secrecy by executive branch agencies and the willingness of many congressional committees to allow such secrecy. In 1996, he cosponsored legislation that expanded FOIA to include electronic information, and as chair of the Government Efficiency, Financial Management, and Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee, he held 1998 hearings on government agencies compliance with e-FOIA.
“Congressman Horn has been a fierce and fearless fighter in insisting that government agencies open their books to promote meaningful oversight, and sponsored and cosponsored many bills that increase oversight of federal agencies,” noted ALA President-elect Carla D. Hayden. “While we congratulate him on his retirement, he will be sorely missed at a time when free and open access to information is being gravely threatened.”
Also at the March 14 Freedom of Information Day ceremony at the Freedom Forum in Arlington, Virginia, the government of Arlington County, Virginia, received a “Recognition of Significant Contribution to Public Access to Government Information” certificate for its tradition of local decisionmaking through a process of extensive discussion and community.
Posted March 24, 2003.
|
