The Newberg Graphic
| Transparency bill passes Legislature |
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| State government -- State Rep. Kim Thatcher sponsors bill to put state spending info on new Web site |
| By Amanda Newman Oregonians will soon have a new Web site to track state spending and revenue, thanks in part to state Rep. Kim Thatcher (R-Keizer). "This is the best budget bill we've passed all year!" Thatcher said. "We were able to use existing staff and resources to build the new site and will soon be able to show Oregonians where their tax dollars are allocated." House Bill 2500, calling for such a public Web site to be established, was approved unanimously in the House on Monday, after a prior unanimous vote Saturday in the Senate. It now moves to the governor's desk to be signed into law. Thatcher was part of a bipartisan group to back the proposal, together with fellow state Reps. Arnie Roblan, Jefferson Smith and Gene Whisnant. "In a session where we have worked hard to balance a historically challenging budget, it makes even more sense also to take landmark steps to provide more information about that budget," Smith said. The initial Web site, scheduled to launch by the end of the year, will show state spending and revenue by agency with links to audit and program information. From there, a special committee will work in the years ahead on making the Web site easily searchable and connecting expenditures to specific services and outcomes. "I'm delighted the Legislature, on a bipartisan basis, approved HB 2500," said Steve Buckstein, senior analyst and founder of the Cascade Policy Institute, a watchdog group that has advocated the creation of such a site. "Government transparency is important at any time, but it's especially important in this tough economic climate," Buckstein said. "Oregonians deserve to know how state government is spending our hard-earned tax dollars and now that will be easier than ever." |
