Friday, February 13, 2009
NDPC Investigates by Jacqueline Dotzenrod
Issue: Government Transparency
BISMARCK – The House of Representatives took a step towards sunshine on Friday before wrapping up the sixth week of the legislative session.
“I’m really happy the House decided to keep transparency alive in North Dakota and move it over to the Senate,” Rep. Blair Thoreson said after the vote on HB 1377, which creates a searchable database of state expenditures. “The bi-partisan effort…really showed that this is not a right or left issue – it’s a right or wrong issue.”
The bill passed with a 67-25 vote and now moves on to be introduced in the Senate.
“I hope to go to the Senate and talk with each Senator individually about it and explain to them why it’s a very good thing for the taxpayers,” Thoreson adds “This has been done with Sunshine on Schools from the (North Dakota) Policy Council and now, hopefully we’ll do it through government also.”
