More Transparency Progress in Oklahoma

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 11:52 AM

In 2007, Oklahoma was one of the first states to embrace spending transparency and to pass legislation mandating the creation of a searchable database for government expenditures.  But while having led the spending transparency movement in the beginning, the state's website OpenBooks has since been surpassed by websites in other states when it comes to information provided and usability. 

Last week, however, the Senate joined the House in passing legislation that would improve Oklahoma's transparency ratings, and HB 3422, the Government Accountability and Transparency Act of 2010 sponsored by Rep. Ken Miller is now headed back to the House for concurrence. The bill would do the following:

It  requires the Office of State Finance (OSF) to replace the state’s “Open Books” website with a more expansive searchable online database called “Open Books 2.0.” The database will list individual expenditures, regardless of amount, separate from aggregated amounts and in a standardized exportable format. The new website will launch by January 1, 2011. Within 18 months of the launch of Open Books 2.0, OSF will create an online archive for each fiscal year beginning with FY-11.

These are certainly welcome improvements. A Senate bill sponsored by Sen. Randy Brogdonrequiring the Department of Education to develop and make available on its website a searchable database of school district expenditures to be launched by January 30, 2011 also passed the House and is now headed back to the Senate for concurrence.

Progress indeed. Keep the good news coming, Oklahoma.

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