Contact: Steven Michels, (608) 267-7874
 
Dept. of Administration: State of Wisconsin Receives “A” Grade for Transparent Government
 
MADISON – The State of Wisconsin received an “A” grade by the United States Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) Education Fund for providing online access to government spending data.  U.S. PIRG issued their Following the Money 2018 report today which evaluates how all 50 states rank for openness and transparency related to government spending.  Wisconsin improved from No. 6 to No. 3 in the rankings from 2016 to 2018 in U.S. PIRG’s report.“Transparency and efficient use of taxpayer dollars is a top priority for Governor Walker’s Administration,” said Department of Administration Secretary Ellen Nowak.  “We are pleased to receive recognition for our efforts and will continue to be good stewards of our resources.”

Created in 2014, Wisconsin’s primary online resource, OpenBook.wi.gov, provides citizens with access to state expenditures, including payments for goods and services and travel and vendor expenses, among other data.  OpenBook.wi.gov provides more than 25 million entries for state agencies, the legislature, the courts, and the University of Wisconsin System dating back to 2008.  As of 2017, the site was updated to include fringe payment data, employee salary, purchase orders and contracts that the state agencies have with vendors.

The full report can be found here.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email