National: Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2007

This week the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform introduced a bi-partisan bill that would greatly improve protections for government employees. The Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2007 (H.R. 985), drafted by PEER as part of a supporting coalition, would strengthen current whistleblower legislation. Significantly, the act would:

· expand the scope of disclosures that federal civil servants can make
· allow federal whistleblowers access to federal court and protect them from retaliation
· undo the damage of the Supreme Court's Garcetti v. Ceballos ruling last summer

State: Washington Whistleblower Law Reform

Last fall PEER performed a comprehensive assessment of state whistleblower laws, with Washington ranking 34th out of 51 (including the District of Columbia) for having narrow coverage and poor usability. Washington whistleblowers may be able to look forward to improved protection, thanks to the introduction of new legislation last week. Senator Kline's Bill 5406, written by WA PEER, would close major loopholes and improve the whistleblower law by:

· Removing limits on to whom employees can report violations
· Expanding the definition of 'improper government action'
· Shielding scientists who report distortion of data or other scientific misconduct
· Protecting public servants from punishment for failing to follow a clearly illegal order

For a state with a dismal whistleblower program, and during a time of limited First Amendment rights for government employees nationwide, this bill would be welcomed by Washington whistleblowers.

Agency: OSC Allowing Self-investigation

The Office of Special Counsel (OSC), the federal agency charged with whistleblower protection, has been undergoing its own whistleblower investigation. Scott Bloch is the head of OSC and target of the probe into reports of illegal gag orders, cronyism and staff retaliation. Up until this week Bloch had been attempting to control his staff's interviews with Office of Personnel Management Inspector General (OIG) investigators. Tuesday, only hours after a PEER press release detailing the OSC's obstruction of the investigation, the new Deputy Special Counsel cancelled his predecessor's directives to arrange OIG interviews through OSC, so that the investigation may proceed unhindered.

Campaign: Scientific Integrity

Federal scientists working on critical issues affecting public health and protection of natural resources are facing increasing political pressure by Bush administration officials to alter or suppress accurate but politically inconvenient findings. Learn more about our scientific integrity campaign and take action today!

Sincerely,

Jeff Ruch
Executive Director