NH a 'Middling State' for Transparency

The state of New Hampshire is described as a "middling state" when it comes to government spending transparency.

The state earned a C+ on government spending transparency, according to the fifth annual report by the New Hampshire Public Interest Research Group's Education Fund.

The most transparent states in the ranking were Indiana, Florida, Oregon, Florida, Texas, Massachusetts, Iowa, Vermont, and Wisconsin. The report, "Following the Money," was released April 8.

The report reviewed content and how easy it is to navigate states' transparency websites. While New Hampshire has comprehensive and easy-to-access information on checkbook-level spending, its website has limited information on subsidies and does not clearly explain what types of data are not publicly disclosed, according to NH-PIRG.

"State governments across the country have become more transparent about where public money goes, providing citizens with the information they need to hold elected officials and recipients of public subsidies accountable," said Phineas Baxandall, Senior Analyst with the New Hampshire Public Interest Research Group Education Fund, in a press release. "We're hoping that New Hampshire will be a leader next year."
 
New Hampshire's website: TransparentNH