Press release: “Government agencies are expanding secrecy in many areas, according to the findings of a report released today. The 2005 Secrecy Report Card, the second annual report on secrecy from OpenTheGovernment.org, found secrecy in 2004 extended to more classified activity, more federal advisory meetings, more new patents deemed “secret,” more domestic surveillance, and more new state laws restricting public access to information. “The indicators we examined point to one conclusion: secrecy is growing,” said Rick Blum, director of OpenTheGovernment.org. “As it expands secrecy — spending billions, issuing orders, closing meetings, and operating out of the public eye — government is shutting out the public. Secrecy robs us of the chance to make informed decisions, to make our communities safer, and fundamentally, to participate in our democracy. We must reverse this troubling trend.”