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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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Majority
Whip Bill DeWeese |
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DeWeese joins bipartisan group to support online spending database
HARRISBURG, June 25 – House Majority Whip Bill DeWeese today joined a bipartisan group of legislators including freshman Republican Jim Christiana to support an online database that would track all expenditures incurred by state government.
"As I ushered the state’s new Open Records law through the House last session, I did so with the strong belief that it would go a long way toward providing transparency on the expenditure of state tax dollars. This online database is a logical extension of that concept and I am proud to co-sponsor the measure," said DeWeese, D-Greene/Fayette/Washington. "The more eyes on things, the more self-correcting the process becomes – and when one has nothing to hide, one has nothing to fear."
Several legislators have offered proposals to increase transparency in state government like that proposed in H.B. 1460, sponsored by Christiana, which would create PennWATCH, the Pennsylvania Web Accountability, Transparency and Contract Hub. A similar bill called PennPortal is expected to be introduced by freshman Rep. Rick Mirabito, D-Lycoming.
DeWeese said the measures would create a database where all state expenditures and contract information could be posted online in one central location that is easily accessible by the public.
He said Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia all created databases offering similar information.
"A public state spending database would decrease the cost of running a state Office of Open Records since the public would have access to spending information on its own," DeWeese said.
The bill awaits action by the House State Government Committee.
"I’m very pleased that this bill has attracted 102 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle, exactly the number needed to pass a bill in the House," said Christiana, R-Beaver. "But it’s not so much pride of authorship as it is the urgent need to get this legislation signed into law."