The Advertiser reported today that the National Taxpayers Union (NTU) has praised Hawaii lawmakers for passing a new law promoting accountable government. House Bill 122, introduced by Finance Chair, Rep. Marcus Oshiro, requires the state to create a searchable web page that discloses all entities and organizations that receive more than $25,000 in state funds. The bill became law without the Governor's signature. Link to story here.
The requirement is modeled after federal legislation, co-sponsored by Senators Tom Coburn and Barack Obama, which instructs the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to provide online information on federal grants and contract disbursements. Hawaii became the 5th state last week to open up state accounting records, joining Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Texas. The NTU had one recommendation for change. Given that the federal legislation dollar level is $25,000, they suggested that Hawaii may want to consider lowering the threshold next year.
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