A new report suggests Wisconsin should be doing more to keep the public informed about state contracts and spending.
The study from WISPIRG suggests Wisconsin is falling behind other states when it comes to putting spending information online, by not giving them easy access to information about contracts, grants and other expenditures.
WISPRIG director Bruce Speight says the state’s current online offerings, such as the Contract Sunshine website, give an incomplete picture. He says they are poorly updated and don’t offer the kind of comprehensive data that’s needed to allow independent reviews of state finances.
The Contract Sunshine website drew complaints earlier this year, after it was found several state agencies had failed to update information in the database. Officials have since pledged to work towards making it a more complete resource.
However, Speight says having a one-stop online site for all information about state finances could help to identify areas where government could save money. For example, Speight says Texas found over $4.8 million in savings after launching its own transparency website.