Downing Joins Colleagues Calling For Transparency In State Government Spending With State Facing Deficit, New Legislation Would Create Accountability

Boston – State Senator Benjamin B. Downing (D – Pittsfield) announced this week that he has co-sponsored new legislation to open up the fiscal books of state government through an electronic website, enabling citizens to review and inspect items of state spending.

Drafted by State Senator Bruce E. Tarr (R – Gloucester), this late-file petition is entitled " An Act to Provide Accountability and Transparency in the Finances of the Commonwealth," and is largely based on a federal law that was passed in 2006 and authored by U.S. Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK) and Barack Obama (D-IL). Downing observed that "if the federal government can provide spending transparency in its budget, there should be no reason that Massachusetts can't provide the same mechanism of public fiscal oversight."

The legislation authorizes the Secretary of Administration and Finance, the Comptroller, the Treasurer and the Operational Services Division to develop and operate a single searchable budget website. The website would:

· allow the general public complete access to research state expenditures;
· be made freely available;
· minimize cost;
· maximize utility;
· and promote the accessibility of information.

"Every tax dollar in Massachusetts was earned by hard working people in the Commonwealth," said Downing. "This user-friendly electronic tool will put the power to understand state spending in the hands of anyone with an interest in where our dollars are going, and where our spending priorities are."

The primary function of the website would be to allow the public to become more engaged and aware of how state funds are spent. The sponsors of the bill hope that the website would further contribute to the development of a so-called "Spend Management System" to allow state and municipal purchasers to share information and gain a significant advantage in the marketplace. Such a system would enable managers to identify spending trends, combine purchases of commonly procured items or services, and share resources where possible.

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