Ind. dealt 'average' grade for lack of state spending transparency

Indiana’s grade for transparency of government spending is average.

The state dropped from an from an “A-” to a “C+,” according to the annual U.S. PIRG Education Fund report. The report is released each year to outline how well each state site provides online access to government spending data.

Indiana’s lower grade reflects the rising grading standards, which the state of Indiana failed to keep up with, according to a press release.

The state’s website contains checkbook level information contracts, non-contract spending and grants but lacks such information on economic development tax credits.

“State governments across the country have become more transparent about where public money goes, providing citizens with the information they need to hold elected officials and businesses that receive public funds accountable,” Alec Sprague, INPIRG federal field organizer, said in the release.

“Following the Money 2013” assigns each state a grade ranging from “A” to “F” based on the content and ease of use of states’ transparency websites.

Indiana’s falling score doesn’t mean that spending has become less transparent, but that most states are improving faster, Sprague said in the release.

Since the time of last year’s report, there have been noticeable progress across the country with states providing online access to government spending information as well as several states introducing new tools to allow for wider access to the data.

Three years ago, 32 states offered checkbook level information regarding state spending online. Twenty-nine states provide that information in searchable form.

This year’s report disclosed that all 50 states now provide checkbook level information online, while 48 states have also made this information searchable.

“Open information about the public purse is crucial for democratic and effective government,” Sprague said in the release. “It is not possible to ensure that government spending decisions are fair and efficient unless information is publicly accessible.”

The best state transparency tools are “highly searchable, engage citizens and include detailed information — allowing all the information to be put to good use.”

“We’d like to see Indiana again become a leader in transparency by improving the breadth and ease of access of online government spending information,” Sprague said in the news release. “Given our state budget problems, Hoosiers need to be able to follow the money.”

— Anu Kumar