For IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 22 2009

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Americans are demanding more accountability from their state and federal government and Republican state legislators are answering their call. The Republican State Leadership Committee today highlighted the effort of state legislators proposing searchable databases to make state government spending more transparent and open to the taxpayers of their respective states. Republican legislators in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia are among those pushing new measures this legislative session.

“The taxpayers are the owners of state government and they deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent. With the ease of technology, there is no excuse for not advancing legislation that allows individuals to quickly search areas of interest in state budgets,” said Scott Ward, RSLC President. “Americans rightfully desire a responsive and open government. They should not have to be a state budget expert looking for a needle in the haystack to know how their dollars are being spent.”

Yesterday, Republican legislators in Iowa and Pennsylvania announced their legislation calling for a user-friendly budget web site. In Tennessee, State Senator Bill Ketron has proposed legislation; and in Virginia, Republicans in both the House and Senate have introduced legislation for this session. To see how a searchable budget database works, visit Republican Secretary of State Karen Handel’s “Transparency in Government Initiative” at http://www.sos.georgia.gov/TIG/.

The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) is the only national organization whose mission is electing Republicans to the office of Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State and State Legislator. The RSLC is the largest caucus of Republican state leaders in the country – making a national impact one state at a time.

The RSLC has over 70,000 donors from all 50 states supporting the RSLC’s goals to pursue a pro-growth agenda including reforming the tax code, healthcare and legal systems; promoting a better educational system; encouraging sound energy initiatives; and advocating public safety through tough, crime-fighting policies. During the 2008 election the RSLC helped maintain the number of Republican Attorneys General and Lieutenant Governors across the U.S. In addition, the RSLC was able to deliver new Republican majorities in the Montana, Oklahoma and Tennessee state senates, as well as an unprecedented majority in the Tennessee House of Representatives.