Baltimore area members of the Maryland House of Delegates are more likely than those in the Washington region to support a bill that would enable residents to track on the Internet how the legislature spends public finds.
Even so, just 25 delegates out of 116 surveyed by The Examiner — 19 in the Baltimore region and six in the Washington suburbs — were willing to go on record supporting a measure already adopted at the federal level and that advocates say would give Marylanders a more open and transparent state government.
Introduced by Del. Warren Miller, R-Howard, The Maryland Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2007 would do the same thing on the state level that the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 did for the national government.
The federal bill was co-sponsored by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and was signed into law last September by President Bush. The Coburn-Obama measure directs the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to create a searchable, “Google-like” online database of federal government contracts and spending above $25,000. A limited version of the web site is up now and is expected to be fully operational in 2009.
After Miller introduced his proposal for Maryland, The Washington Examiner asked 47 delegates from Montgomery and Prince George’s counties if they support this good government bill. Only six local delegates said “yes,” while three said they were undecided and 37 did not respond to repeated telephone and email requests for comment.
Del. William Bronrott, D-Montgomery, said the Maryland budget is available online now, but added that “any person interested in seeing the proposed FY08 budget that is now under consideration by the Maryland General Assembly should be able to access those bills on our Web site.”
Miller’s proposal, like the Coburn-Obama bill at the federal level, would make actual state spending easily searchable on the Internet, rather than proposed spending under consideration by the General Assembly.
Readers are encouraged to check below to see how their state delegate responded to The Examiner survey. Contact information is provided for readers who wish to contact their delegates on this issue.
Delegates supporting Maryland spending transparency bill
Saqib Ali (D)
District 39
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3021
» “I have no problem with such a searchable database/Web site. I’m all in favor of government transparency and accountability.”
Roger Manno (D)
District 19
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3883
» “While I would like to monitor the standing committee consideration of this bill, in general, I do support greater transparency efforts, such as posting of the budget, as I believe they are in the public interest.”
Karen S. Montgomery (D)
District 14
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3110
» “Yes, it should be available. But be aware that it is not always complete or accurate at first and there may be modifications.”
Victor R. Ramirez (D)
District 47
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3340
» “Yes, I support the concept. I’ll vote for it if it comes to the floor.”
Craig L. Rice (D)
District 15
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3090
» “Delegate Rice is extremely supportive of open and transparent government. Therefore, he would support this bill.”
– Alex Gudger, aide to Del. Rice
Veronica L. Turner (D)
District 26
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3212
» “I would have no objection to posting the budget to the Internet as a searchable database for Marylanders.”
Washington area delegates who are undecided or who declined to respond
Kathleen M. Dumais (D)
District 15
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3052
» “I would support such a Web site for the Maryland budget-provided that the Committee of Jurisdiction passes the bill and the bill is funded. I have no idea what the fiscal note on this bill is-and, until I see that, I cannot take a firm position. … All I can tell you at this point is that conceptually it is a good idea.”
Marilyn R. Goldwater (D)
District 16
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3454
» Has not had a chance to see the bill, and she would rather not comment on it at this time until she has had an opportunity to learn more about it.
Gerron S. Levi (D)
District 23A
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3101
» “I would like to review this bill further, because I am not immediately aware of it.”
William A. Bronrott
District 16
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3642
» “I believe that the Maryland budget is currently available to the public on the Maryland General Assembly Web site. Any person interested in seeing the proposed FY08 budget that is now under consideration by the Maryland General Assembly should be able to access those bills on our Web site.”
Jay Walker (D)
District 26
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3581
» No response.
Jeffery D. Waldstreicher (D)
District 18
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3130
– No response.
Michael L. Vaughn (D)
District 24
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3691
– No response.
Joseph F. Vallario Jr. (D)
District 27A
Calvert & Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3488
» No response.
Kris Valderrama (D)
District 26
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3210
» No response.
Herman L. Taylor Jr. (D)
District 14
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3380
» No response.
Luiz R. S. Simmons (D)
District 17
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3037
» No response.
Justin D. Ross (D)
District22
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3652
» No response.
James E. Proctor Jr. (D)
District 27A
Calvert & Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3083
» No response.
Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk (D)
District 21
Anne Arundel & Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3502
joseline.peñ[email protected]
» No response.
Doyle L. Niemann (D)
District 47
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3326
» No response.
Heather R. Mizeur (D)
District 20
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3493
» No response.
Susan C. Lee (D)
District 16
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3649
» No response.
Jane E. Lawton (D)
District 18
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3638
– No response.
Benjamin F. Kramer (D)
District 19
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3485
– No response.
Nancy J. King (D)
District 39
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3037
» No response.
Anne R. Kaiser (D)
District 14
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3036
» No response.
Jolene Ivey (D)
District 47
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3478
» No response.
Thomas Hucker (D)
District 20
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3474
» No response.
James W. Hubbard (D)
District 23A
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3103
» No response.
Carolyn J. B. Howard (D)
District 24
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3919
» No response.
Marvin E. Holmes Jr. (D)
District 23B
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3310
» No response.
Sheila Ellis Hixson (D)
District 20
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3469
» No response.
Henry B. (Hank) Heller (D)
District 19
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3528
– No response.
Anne Healey (D)
District 22
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3961
» No response.
Ana Sol Gutierrez (D)
District 18
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3181
» No response.
Melony Ghee Griffith (D)
District 25
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3557
» No response.
James W. Gilchrist (D)
District 17
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3744
» No response.
Tawanna P. Gaines (D)
District 22
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3058
» No response.
Barbara A. Frush (D)
District 21
Anne Arundel & Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3114
» No response.
Brian J. Feldman (D)
District 15
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3186
» No response.
Dereck E. Davis (D)
District 25
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3519
» No response.
Aisha N. Braveboy (D)
District 25
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3707
» No response.
Joanne C. Benson (D)
District 24
Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3692
» No response.
Kumar P. Barve (D)
District 17
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3464
» No response.
Benjamin S. Barnes (D)
District 21
Anne Arundel & Prince George’s County
(301) 858-3046
» No response.
Charles E. Barkley (D)
District 39
Montgomery County
(301) 858-3001
» No response.
Washington Examiner editorial intern Stephanie Aulis contributed to this report.
