Austin American Statesman [1] reminds us that whie most Americans were celebrating New Years Eve, President Bush took the time to sign into law the Freedom of Information Act reforms.  That legislation was supported by CREW and a broad coalition of other organizations across the political spectrum:

In a surprising move, President Bush signed the open government act of 2007, which amends the aging Freedom of Information Act of 1966. It was a much-needed step toward public disclosure that should force government agencies to respond to records requests in a timely manner.

The bill was sponsored by Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn and Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy, and both fought hard for it. It wasn’t assured that Bush would sign it into law, but he did Dec. 31.

Federal agencies routinely ignore requests for information from the public. Some requests have languished in bureaucratic limbo for more than two years. Such delays are unacceptable in a democracy, and the bill Bush signed is designed to improve the situation.

Among other things, the new law gives federal agencies 20 days to respond to requests - or pay for the search and copy costs. Agencies that worry about their budgets should be quick to respond to public requests for documents rather than eat the costs. The bill also creates a tracking system so requesters can know where their queries are in the system.

In another important change, the bill requires agencies to create a response time report, so everyone can know how long a request has gone unanswered. And it creates an independent ombudsman’s office to review performances and mediate disputes.