INDIANAPOLIS | Indiana remains one of the best states in the nation for transparency in state government spending.
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group on Wednesday reaffirmed its A grade for the Indiana Transparency Portal, a website detailing state purchases, employee salaries, government contracts, economic development incentives and other budget matters.
State Auditor Tim Berry manages the portal at in.gov/itp. He said the website is a valuable tool for Hoosiers who want to learn more about how state government spends their money.
"Transparency in government spending promotes fiscal responsibility, checks corruption and bolsters public confidence," said Berry, a Republican.
U.S. PIRG also awarded Indiana an A for transparency last year, as did Sunshine Review, another nonprofit organization that evaluates openness in government records.
Indiana, Massachusetts and West Virginia were the only states to receive A's from both organizations.
Illinois earned an A from Sunshine Review but a B- from U.S. PIRG, which said Illinois improved in 2011 by reporting how much various tax bre