Hopeful Signs for State Budget Transparency
The Joint Budget Committee (JBC) has already begun taking steps to make Colorado's budget process, as well as its budget-related documents, more accessible to the public.
In October 2003, the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute issued a study evaluating the transparency of Colorado's budget process and documents1. That report made 37 recommendations for assisting interested persons in understanding the states fiscal information, ranging from placing the Governor's proposed budget online, to publishing regular tax expenditure and tax incidence reports, to making it easier for citizens to follow the budget process throughout the legislative session.
Ten weeks into the 17-week session, with the Long Appropriations Bill (The Long Bill) poised to be introduced in the House of Representatives, this is a good time to briefly assess whether the State has moved in the direction of greater budget transparency.
Released March 2004

