Maryland increases transparency with new general assembly measures

Maryland’s General Assembly and Board of Public Works are moving forward with several measures designed to increase transparency. The new measures include broadcasting all Board of Public Works meetings live online along with initiatives from the General Assembly to provide greater accountability and transparency about state government.

Maryland’s General Assembly will now stream standing committee hearings as will the Senate which will broadcast live audio of their hearings. The Assembly will also be waiving the current fee for bill status updates during the legislative session, and final roll call votes will also be posted online.

Government transparency initiatives have been a major part of the Governor’s agenda for the state and Governor O’Malley has received national recognition for his efforts. CivSource has reported on some of these initiatives like StateStat. The Governor champions the use of technology like that used with StateStat for the  cost savings and high levels of accountability.

“We’ve been proud these last four years to usher in a new era of accountability and transparency to the Governor’s office that has become a hallmark to our Administration,” said Governor O’Malley. “Our goal from the beginning was to make government work again for the people it serves. As we continue to find new ways to make government more responsive and responsible, we’re delivering on the promise of openness and transparency for the people of Maryland.”