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GOP lawmakers get behind
budget transparency proposal
Searchable Web site would show taxpayers how their
money is being spent
Republican leaders in the
state House of Representatives are urging their colleagues to give
greater consideration to a budget transparency bill that has languished
in committee since last session. House Bill 2342, and a similar
measure Senate Bill 6387, would create a free searchable Web site
for citizens to review the state budget and learn how their money is
being spent.
“State budget documents are thousands of pages long and much too
cumbersome for average citizens to sift through if they want to know
where their money is going,” said
Rep. Gary Alexander, R-Olympia, who
is the lead budget negotiator for Republicans in the state House. “With
a searchable Web site, citizens could locate expenditures based on
plain-English questions and receive budget information that’s easier to
understand. The site could provide information on programs funded with
taxpayer dollars and the performance of state government in delivering
services.”
A new federal program provides a Web site model for states that want to
allow citizens to track government spending more easily. Several other
states are implementing the budget search site, and bills have been
introduced in Washington to do the same. High-tech companies based in
Washington have offered to help set up the free searchable budget Web
site for the state.
“Our home-grown high-tech industry makes our state a natural fit for
using technology to improve transparency in government,” said House
Republican Leader Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis. “The information has
always been open to the public but buried in mountains of bureaucracy,
which is one of the reasons people feel disenfranchised. We favor any
program that makes the Legislature more accessible and relevant to
citizens. This sort of Web-based tool is exactly what we need to improve
accountability and restore public trust in state government.”
The federal model includes safeguards to protect the privacy of
citizens. For example, it would prevent users from looking up how much
an individual has received in public assistance. House Bill 2342
and Senate Bill 6387 were referred to committee during the 2007
session, but did not receive a public hearing.
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For more information, contact:
John
Handy, Assistant Director: (360) 786-5758
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