2008 State Government Spending Transparency
[2008] [2007]

[click here for a comprehensive memo in PDF]

2008 EFFORTS

Click here for a map highlighting recent successes.

Click here for a brief summary highlighting recent successes.

Alaska :

Gov. Sarah Palin (R) of Alaska has posted the state's check register online. The information, incorporated into the department of administration's website, at this point is limited to expenditures over the amount of $1,000.

The site can be accessed at http://fin.admin.state.ak.us/dof/checkbook_online/index.jsp

The payment information (available in excel and pdf) is limited to payments using the enterprise-wide methods of general warrants and One Cards (credit card payments). Payments from specialized payment systems are being excluded until and unless a confidentiality analysis confirms them to be public information. In this first version, wire transfers have not been included. Likewise, payments that were cancelled still show as payments to the original vendor. Subsequent versions will hold more detail.

SB 201 , sponsored by Sen. Bill Wielechowski (D-Anchorage), would require the creation of a searchable website detailing information on state revenues and expenditures higher than $10,000, including, but not limited to, grants and contracts. He will keep pushing the bill to make sure spending information is available online beyond Gov. Palin's tenure.

Status: passed senate on 03/26/08. Passed house state affairs committee, referred to house finance committee on 04/05/08. Bill not taken up before session adjournment on 4/13/08.

Arizona :

HCR 2040 seeks a constitutional amendment which would require the state treasurer and the treasurer of each county, city and town to establish and maintain an official website that contains a database of receipts and expenditures, including bond payments and debt service, compensation of state or local government employees, contractual services and cooperative agreements, commodities and capital outlay.

Status: passed house committee as amended on 02/20/08.

SB 1235 r equires the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA) to establish and maintain a public internet database of state contracts by January 1, 2013. ADOA has to submit, on or before July 1, 2009, a written report to the Governor, the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on the progress and plans for the full implementation of the database.

Status: passed senate; passed house appropriations committee on 3/26/08. An amendment to change the year of implementation to 2009 passed.

California ;

 AB 1843 , sponsored by Assemblyman Martin Garrick (R-Carlsbad), would require the state controller, with the assistance of the department of technology services, to create and maintain an easily searchable online database, linked to from the State of California website, providing detailed information on government expenditures. It requires the inclusion of a link to the program, contract, or grant where possible.

SB 1494 , sponsored by Sen. Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks), requires each state agency and department to develop and operate a website accessible to the public that includes specified information relating to expenditures of state funds, including, among other things, grants, contracts, subcontracts, purchase orders, tax refunds, rebates and credits.

Status: heard in senate governmental organization committee on 03/25/08, referred to senate appropriations committee on 3/25/08. Amended and placed on appropriations committee suspense file 4/21/08.

Delaware :

Sen. Charles Copeland (R- West Farms) and Rep. Greg Lavelle (R-Sharpley) introduced the Delaware Taxpayer Coalition's 2008 Fiscal Transparency Package in December 2007.

•  SB 184 /HB 334 requires the creation of a searchable budget database website to allow taxpayers to access details of how their tax dollars are being spent.

Status: Senate bill assigned to senate finance committee on 01/09/08. House bill passed out of administration committee on 04/23/08.

•  SB 185 /HB 337 requires the creation and maintenance of a searchable website for contracts entered into by school districts and charter schools.
Status: Senate bill assigned to senate finance committee 01/09/08. House bill passed out of education committee on 04/23/08.

•  SB 186 / HB 338 requires each school district and charter school to post its checking account activity (other than payroll checks) on its website. It also requires pay and benefits to be posted by job title at the beginning of each fiscal year.
Status: Senate bill assigned to senate finance committee 01/09/08. House bill passed out of education committee on 04/23/08.

•  SB 187 / HB 336 requires each state agency to post its checking account activity (other than payroll checks) on its website. It also requires pay and benefits to be posted by job title at the beginning of each fiscal year.
Status: Senate bill assigned to senate finance committee 01/09/08. House bill passed out of administration committee on 04/23/08.

•  SB 188 requires information concerning the distributions from the Delaware Strategic Fund to be posted on the Delaware Economic Development Office's website.
Status: assigned to senate finance committee 01/09/08.

An additional bill, filed by Sen. George Bunting ( D-Bethany Beach ) and Rep. Greg Lavelle (R-Sharpley) would also provide for greater transparency in state government finance:

•  SB 181 requires the creation of a public website the names, positions, employing agencies, salaries, overtime compensation, travel expenses, and other reimbursable expenses of all fulltime and part-time State employees, officers, and officials.

Florida :

HB 181 , sponsored by Rep. Gayle Harrell (R-Port St Lucie), would mandate the creation of a website for state government expenditures, while at the same time requiring localities to disclose their expenditures online.

Status: Referred favorably out of Committee on Audit & Performance on 01/09/08. Now in government efficiency and accountability council – temporarily postponed.

Similar companion bill: SB392 sponsored by Sen. Ronda Storms (R-Brandon). Amendments to the bill to make it more comprehensive are expected.

Status: passed finance and tax committee on 4/2/08. Passed senate.

Update: The senate bill has been amended in part onto HB 7123, which passed the house. However, only the state transparency component was adopted, and the threshold for disclosure was raised from $5,000 to $25,000. The senate bill was also amended in full onto SB 2648.

Georgia :

SB 300 sponsored by Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock), chairman of the Senate Taxpayer Protection Caucus, would require the Department of Audits and Accounts to provide for the creation and maintenance of a website detailing information on the expenditure of state funds. No dollar threshold for disclosure stipulated.

Status: an amended version passed senate 02/21/08. House passed substitute on 04/01/08. After senate disagreed, conference committee was called and conference committee report was adopted on 04/04/08.

Illinois :

HB 4765 sponsored by Reps. Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) and Jack Franks (D-Woodstock) would require the Department of Central Management Services to create the Illinois Accountability Portal providing taxpayers with online access to information detailing state expenditures, tax credits, state employee salaries, state contracts and other important information.

Status: passed house unanimously on 4/1/08. Referred to senate rules committee on 04/02/08

Kansas :

HB 2730, sponsored by Rep. Kasha Kelley ( R-Arkansas City ), would re-pass last year's Taxpayer Transparency Act. That bill was passed as an attachment to the budget, and thus only valid for one year.

Status : On March 1, 2008 the website was launched and it is now up and running. Kansas taxpayers now have a tool to track their tax dollars at a mouse click at www.kansas.gov/kanview

HB 2730 passed the house on 2/14/08.

The bill passed the senate after much tactical maneuvering, and was signed into law by the governor on 04/22/08. A sunset was placed on the bill, so a reauthorization will be necessary in 2013.

Kentucky :

HB 105 , sponsored by Rep. Jim DeCesare (R-Bowling Green), would mandate the creation of a single, searchable website detailing information about state treasury expenditures and transfers in excess of $5000. This includes, but is not limited to, grants and contracts.

Status: referred to house state government committee on 01/10/08.

Louisiana :

Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) of Louisiana became the first governor to take executive action to increase transparency in government spending in 2008.

One of his first actions upon being sworn in as governor in January, was to sign an executive order ( Executive Order No. BJ 2008 -2 ) requiring the commissioner of administration to work towards accomplishing an outlined series of goals, among them:

•  annual online reporting of all state grants and contracts;

•  improving access to current grant and contract databases;

•  facilitate interoperability of IT systems between agencies;

•  creating an online state spending database.

SB 37 requires the commissioner of administration to establish and maintain a website of state spending by January 1, 2009, listing detail about the nature and amount of appropriations, as well as performance information. Salaries and total compensation of all statewide elected officials and cabinet positions will be included. Excluded are the judicial and legislative branches.

Status: passed legislature on 02/29/08. Signed by Gov. Jindal on 3/10/08.

Maryland :

HB 358 , sponsored by Del. Warren Miller (R-Annapolis), would require the department of budget and management to disclose relevant information on state expenditures including grants and contracts over the amount of $25,000 in a searchable database on or by January 1 st , 2009.

Status: passed house on 3/17/08; amended version passed senate on 04/01/08.

SB819 , sponsored by Sen. Mooney, the Maryland Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2008 requires that the Department of Budget and Management develops and operates a searchable website that includes specified information for State financial assistance and expenditures over $25,000.

Status: passed senate on 03/31/08.

Massachusetts :

SD2370 would require the disclosure of relevant information on state expenditures including grants and contracts over the amount of $25,000 in a searchable database.

Status: the bill was introduced past the deadline, but may be offered as an amendment to the budget.

Michigan :

HB 5137 introduced August 23, 2007 by Rep. Jack Hoogendyk (R-Kalamazoo). The Management and Budget Act mandate the creation of a website detailing information on expenditures of appropriated or non-appropriated funds by a state agency for state purchases, contracts and subcontracts and grants.

Status: referred to appropriations committee on 04/09/08.

Attorney General Mike Cox has posted his office's quarterly expenditures on his own website (in a static version at this point) and has publicly called on the governor to open the state's checkbooks.

http://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,1607,7-164-34391-184786--,00.html

Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land has also posted her department's detailed spending information online. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/sos/FY2007_MDOS_Expenditures_232240_7.pdf

Mississippi :

HB 725 , the Mississippi Taxpayer Transparency Act, sponsored by Rep. Toby Barker (R-Hattiesburg) requires the Department of Finance and Administration to develop and operate a single, searchable web site accessible by the public and to require any state agency to provide information to the department of finance and administration.

Status: passed house on02/20/08, died in appropriations.

Substitute bill HB 101, offered through senate appropriations committee. House concurred w/senate amendment on 04/03/08. Signed by Gov. Barbour on 04/14/08.

Missouri :

SB 1204, sponsored by Sen. Jack Goodman (R-Mt. Vernon) would codify Gov. Blunt's Missouri Accountability Portal into law.

Status: Removed S consent calendar on 03/26/08

Nevada :

On March 18, 2008, Gov. Jim Gibbons (R) issued an executive order calling on the Department of Administration to develop the “Nevada Open Government Initiative” – an easily searchable database of financial transactions, specifically covering budget information, expenditures, contracts and grants.

Status: A dedicated website is already up and running, but at this point only highlights progress in other states: http://open.nv.gov/OtherStates.htm

New Jersey : 

S445 , the Transparency in Government Act sponsored by Sen. Joe Pennacchio (R-Morris), mandates the creation of a website that will disclose comprehensive state revenue and expenditure information, including annual expenditures such as disbursements by state agencies from funds in the state treasury, salaries and wages including compensation paid to individual state employees, contractual services, capital outlays and commodities including amounts paid to individual vendors.

Status: co-sponsor to be added on 02/21/08.

Ohio :

HB 420, sponsored by Rep. Tom Brinkman (R-Mount Lookout) would mandate the creation of a website detailing information about state awards including, but not limited to grants and contracts.

It would also require that the office of budget and management shall establish a searchable website for earmarks and would provide for increased transparency in state real property management. Agency management standards and performance measures would also be implemented under this bill. 

Status: passed out of state government & elections committee on 04/14/08.

Pennsylvania :

SB 1350, sponsored by Sen. Browne (R- Lehigh) would direct the Office of Budget to create and maintain a searchable budget database-driven website that the public can access, for free, to obtain:

•  Information on grants and contracts provided by government agencies.  All transactions above $25,000 would be accessible to the public;

•  Agency performance indicators and quarterly performance results compared to these indicators;

•  Agency line-by-line appropriation analysis including user-friendly detailed monetary breakouts and detailed narrative descriptions.

Status: referred to senate finance committee 04/28/08.

South Carolina :

In what could complement Gov. Sanford's executive order to create a website for government expenditures, H 4356 / S.896 , the Appropriations Bill Earmark Disclosure Act would require the submission of more detailed information on earmark request forms. It furthermore stipulates that a copy of any earmark request must be published on the General Assembly's website within three business days of filing.

Status: in ways and means committee since 01/08/08.

S. 1144 , the Truth in Spending Act, sponsored by Sen. Grooms et. al. requires each state agency and local governmental entity in the state to maintain a transaction register that includes a complete record of all funds expended over one hundred dollars, from whatever source for whatever purpose. The register must be prominently posted on the internet website maintained by the entity and made available for public viewing and downloading.

Status: referred to senate judiciary subcommittee on 2/22/08.

Update:

The senate voted to adopt a proviso to the budget that would withhold general operating funding the state returns to county governments for one year unless the county maintains an online, searchable, register of expenses that includes all checks over $100 and county credit card statements. The amendment requires the register be updated once a month and include the amount of the expenditure, name of the payee, and an explanation on the purpose of the expenditure. The register will not include salaries or information that can identify individual employees. The monthly additions to the register must be maintained online for at least one-year.

South Dakota :

HB 1233 , sponsored by Rep. Hal Wick (R-Sioux Falls), mandates the creation of a searchable website detailing comprehensive state expenditure information, including disbursements by state agencies from funds in the state treasury, bond debt payments, salaries and wages including compensation paid to individual state employees, contractual services, capital outlays and commodities including amounts paid to individual vendors.

Status: passed legislature, vetoed by Gov. Rounds. House voted to override veto, but senate failed to do so on 3/17/08.

Tennessee :

HB 4034 , sponsored by Rep. Susan Lynn (R-Mt. Juliet) would require the creation of a comprehensive single searchable budget database for government expenditures. The database would show the amount received, the funding source and exactly what performance is expected in return. In addition, it would show all state audits of past performance.

Status: Taken off notice for cal. s/c of finance, ways & means committee on 3/14/08.

SB 4095 , sponsored by Sen. Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) is the senate companion bill.

Status : referred to senate finance, ways and means committee on 02/04/08.

HB 3094 cross-filed with SB 3489 would mandate the creation of a single, searchable website accessible to the public at no cost that provides information on expenditures of state funds, including the name and principal location or residence of the entity or recipients of the funds, the amount of state funds expended, the type of transaction, the funding or expending agency, the budget program source, a descriptive purpose of the funding action or expenditure, and any other relevant information.

The Web site must also include the most recent "lost revenue report," a report that sets out all provisions of state tax law that reduce state revenue through exclusions, deductions, credits, exemptions, deferrals, or other preferential tax treatment.

Status: Placed behind the budget on 04/23/08.

Utah :

SB 38 , sponsored by Sen. Wayne Niederhauser (R-Sandy), mandates the creation of a single searchable website for government expenditures.

Specifically, it would apply to all branches of the state government, including departments, colleges and universities as well as counties, cities and school districts with budgets of $1 million or more. It would provide access to public financial information such as monies, funds, accounts, bonds, loans, revenues, and expenditures including those made under a contract with access to the actual contract. The bill furthermore provides for the creation of a Utah Transparency Advisory board, which will be tasked with making sure that private records stay private.

Status: an amended version excluding localities was signed into law by Gov. Huntsman on 3/14/08.

Virginia :

SB 585 , sponsored by Virginia Taxpayer Protection Caucus Chair Ken Cuccinelli (R-Centerville) and Sen. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) would create a searchable budget database for government expenditures with detailed information and links to the actual expenditure document.

Virginia currently has a website for government expenditures at http://datapoint.apa.virginia.gov/ . While that website already goes beyond what many other states are doing to inform constituents about how government spends tax dollars, Sen. Cuccinelli's legislation would provide for a greater level of detail in online disclosure.

House companion bill is HB 1360, sponsored by Del. Ben Cline (R-Rockbridge) and Johnny Joannou (D-Portsmouth).

Status: Both bills have been continued to 2009 in their assigned committees and are dead for 2008.

Washington :

SB 6387 , sponsored by Sen. Val Stevens (R-Arlington), would require the creation of a comprehensive single searchable budget database for government expenditures. The database would show the amount received, the funding source and exactly what performance is expected in return. In addition, it would show all state audits of past performance.

Status: referred to senate ways & means on 01/16/08; did not survive cutoff.

SB 6818 , sponsored by Sen. Eric Oemig (D- Kirkland), while being less specific in its requirements than Sen. Stevens's bill, calls for the creation of a similar website for government expenditures.

Status: signed into law by Gov. Gregoire on 4/1/08.

The spending transparency websites have been endorsed by State Auditor Brian Sonntag (D) and Attorney General McKenna (R).

Wisconsin :

AB862 , the Government Checkbook Disclosure Act sponsored by Sen. Bob Wirch (D-Kenosha), Rep. Bill Kramer (R-Waukesha), and Rep. Robin Vos (R-Caledonia), would require the department of administration to create a website tracking all state expenditures over $100. Digitized copies of checks written for anything over $100, as well as copies of grants and contracts will be available for public inspection. In the case of grants and contracts, information about who received them, how much was received, and the purpose of the grant or contract will be publicized on the website.    

AB 739 , sponsored by Rep. Rich Zipperer (R-Pewaukee) and Sen. Joe Leibham (R-Sheboygan) would prohibit state agencies from including earmarks and non-fiscal policy items in the budget. The bill would also require the legislative fiscal bureau to submit a report identifying the authors sponsoring earmarks and the beneficiaries, as well as the cost of the earmark.

Status: passed assembly, senate failed to take action before end of legislative session.

Local Transparency in Wisconsin :

Milwaukee County is the first Wisconsin government unit to open its books to public scrutiny, and shared data with CRG Network., which has launched its “Government Accountability in Spending Project (GASP). http://milwaukeecounty.headquarters.com/

The GASP database allows users to search county invoices accounting for over $1.3 billion. Milwaukee County is expected to launch its own Expenditure Accountability Project later this year. CRG cites Americans for Tax Reform as an inspiration for taking on this ambitious project.

For more information contact Sandra Fabry, state government affairs manager, at sfabry@atr.org

ATR is a founding member of www.ShowMeTheSpending.Org, a coalition website dedicated to promoting transparency in government spending.