Hawaii Open Budget Celebrates One Year Online

News Release from Office of Sen Sam Slom February 3, 2016

HONOLULU — The Hawaii Open Budget Initiative celebrates one year online this month, and has just been updated with Governor David Ige's 2017 Executive Supplemental Budget released in December 2015, and the Council on Revenues forecast from January 2016.

The Hawaii Open Budget site started as a pilot program, and was created with the understanding that the complexities of the state budget discourage most people from looking closely at it.  Dedicated to promoting government transparency and civic engagement with the state budgeting process, hawaiiopenbudget.com has garnered over 4,000 unique visitors and over 9,000 page views in its first year online.

Senator Sam Slom says, "I am proud that so many people have visited the Hawaii Open Budget site.  It shows that there is a demand for this information, and that the way the information is presented on the site lets the public get involved in a meaningful way.  The state government owes it to the citizens of Hawaii to be accountable for how taxpayer money is being spent."

The state also has a website dedicated to the budget, at openbudget.hawaii.gov however, the state's site only contains information on the budget after it has been passed.  In contrast, hawaiiopenbudget.com will be continually updated as the budget drafts by the House of Representatives, the Senate and finally the Conference Committee are released.  This allows for true oversight in real time, as important budget decisions are being made at the legislature.

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About the Hawaii Senate Minority

Senator Samuel M. Slom has represented Hawaii’s 9th senatorial district since 1996.  The lone Republican in the Hawaii State Senate, Slom is presently the only single-member caucus in any legislature in the United States.  Slom serves on all Senate committees, sub-committees and special committees, is minority leader and floor leader, and is Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Environment and Technology.  For further information on Senator Slom and the Hawaii Senate Minority, visit www.hawaii-senateminority.com .