State Auditor, Attorney General, Washington Policy Center support searchable budget website reform

Olympia – Two of the state’s strongest advocates for transparent and accountable government have voiced their support for a Washington Policy Center (WPC) proposal to create a free searchable website of all state spending and performance information. On December 5, 2007, WPC released a study entitled Creating a Free, Searchable Website of State Spending.

State Auditor Brian Sonntag (D) and Attorney General Rob McKenna (R) offered the following comments about this proposed reform:

“Citizens deserve to have as much information available as they desire. When government’s doors are open, people have the access they need to see where their dollars are being spent,” said Sonntag.

“Budget transparency is a laudable goal,” McKenna said. “Citizens need to be informed about the cost of government and where their tax dollars are being spent. I support the Washington Policy Center in its work to bring more transparency and access to our state’s taxpayers.”

If the state had a searchable budget website, rather than having to dig through thousands of pages of budget documents, details on state spending could be linked to a plain-English explanation of what it meant and further broken down by how the money is spent all the way to the program level. Performance information for the spending would also be included. That way, any citizen with internet access could go to a single source for the public spending information he is looking for.

Last year a bill was introduced to implement this reform. State representatives Mark Miloscia (D-30th District) and Rep. Dan Kristiansen (R-39th District) introduced HB 2342 last session, “to make the state budget information available to the public.” The bill would create a free, searchable website for use by the public and providing details about state spending and agency performance. The proposal did not receive a public hearing.

“Improving citizen access to information about public spending will not only help improve the budget decision making process of elected officials, but also help connect taxpayers with the spending decisions being made on their behalf,” said Jason Mercier, Government Reform director at the Washington Policy Center. “This reform is a win-win for everyone, except possibly for those who fear something embarrassing about public spending might be revealed.”

“The only thing standing in the way of a searchable budget website becoming a reality is if our elected officials fail to make it a priority,” said Mercier.

Additional Information

Creating a Free, Searchable Website of State Spending

Microsoft willing to help with transparency reforms

State Legislators Call For Searchable Web Site To Track State Spending