GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY BILL CLEARS SENATE COMMITTEE; WOULD REQUIRE AGENCIES TO POST BUDGET REQUESTS ONLINE . . . TWICE!
JACKSON – The Senate Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency Committee today unanimously passed Senate Bill 2546, a measure that, if passed into
law, will bring greater openness and transparency to state budgeting, according to the bill’s author, Sen. Will Longwitz (R-Madison).
Under current law, there is no requirement that any agency, special-fund or general-fund agency, post its annual budget request in a place where the
public can reach it. This bill would require those requests to be posted online in two places: on the Legislative Budget Office website and on the
agency’s own website.
“I’m pleased with this progress today. The only wrinkle we face going forward is the issue of data format, but I’m sure we can put our heads
together and get to the right answer. The critical thing is for taxpayers to get access to this public spending information in a useful form,”
Longwitz continued. “I’m very grateful to Chairman Collins and the members of the committee for their support, and I hope our leadership in the Senate
and the House will give this bill their full backing.”
During his time in the Mississippi Senate, Longwitz has made government accountability one of his highest priorities. Also clearing a Senate
committee today was SB 2507, a bill that gives better access to public records. Longwitz introduced a similar bill this session, and was able to
add some of his language to the bill that passed today.
2/4/14
Magnolia Tribune
