Editorial: Transparency is good to see

The disclosure forms are available online. While not posted online automatically, the public can view the financial disclosures through a records request by WyoFile.

All Wyoming legislators and executive officials are required to file a disclosure form with the secretary of state’s office listing businesses in which they hold a 10% or greater interest and must disclose contracts with the state for goods and services valued at more than $6,000. That statute went into effect in 1998.

Wyoming government has become increasingly more transparent and when Kristi Racines was elected Wyoming State Auditor and Mark Gordon was elected Governor of Wyoming, openness in how the state spends your tax dollars shone through immediately.

After being elected in 2018 and before taking office, Gordon and Racines organized the Financial Transparency Working Group, the purpose of which was to identify and develop solutions to improve transparency and accessibility to state financial data.

Before being elected Gordon said, “Ensuring transparency in government is essential. Wyoming citizens must have the tools, context and resources they need to view and understand how our state budgets our revenues and expends our funds.”

Within 30 days of taking office, Racines produced and turned over six years’ worth of expenditures. Six months after taking office, Racines put Wyoming’s checkbook online for the public to examine.

While other areas of Wyoming state government still have work to do to become fully transparent, the efforts by Gov. Gordon and Auditor Racines on financial disclosure are a monumental step towards full transparency in Wyoming government.

John Malmberg