Baltimore area members of the Maryland House of Delegates are more likely than those in the Washington region to support a bill that would enable residents to track on the Internet how the legislature spends public finds.

Even so, just 25 delegates out of 116 surveyed by The Examiner — 19 in the Baltimore region and six in the Washington suburbs — were willing to go on record supporting a measure already adopted at the federal level and that advocates say would give Marylanders a more open and transparent state government.

Introduced by Del. Warren Miller, R-Howard, The Maryland Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2007 would do the same thing on the state level that the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 did for the national government.

The federal bill was co-sponsored by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and was signed into law last September by President Bush. The Coburn-Obama measure directs the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to create a searchable, “Google-like” online database of federal government contracts and spending above $25,000. A limited version of the web site is up now and is expected to be fully operational in 2009.

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After Miller introduced his proposal for Maryland, The Washington Examiner asked 47 delegates from Montgomery and Prince George’s counties if they support this good government bill. Only six local delegates said “yes,” while three said they were undecided and 37 did not respond to repeated telephone and email requests for comment.

Del. William Bronrott, D-Montgomery, said the Maryland budget is available online now, but added that “any person interested in seeing the proposed FY08 budget that is now under consideration by the Maryland General Assembly should be able to access those bills on our Web site.”

Miller’s proposal, like the Coburn-Obama bill at the federal level, would make actual state spending easily searchable on the Internet, rather than proposed spending under consideration by the General Assembly.

Readers are encouraged to check below to see how their state delegate responded to The Examiner survey. Contact information is provided for readers who wish to contact their delegates on this issue.

Delegates supporting Maryland spending transparency bill

Saqib Ali (D)

District 39

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3021

saqib.ali@house.state.md.us

» “I have no problem with such a searchable database/Web site. I’m all in favor of government transparency and accountability.”

Roger Manno (D)

District 19

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3883

roger.manno@house.state.md.us

» “While I would like to monitor the standing committee consideration of this bill, in general, I do support greater transparency efforts, such as posting of the budget, as I believe they are in the public interest.”

Karen S. Montgomery (D)

District 14

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3110

karen.montgomery@house.state.md.us

» “Yes, it should be available. But be aware that it is not always complete or accurate at first and there may be modifications.”

Victor R. Ramirez (D)

District 47

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3340

victor.ramirez@house.state.md.us

» “Yes, I support the concept. I’ll vote for it if it comes to the floor.”

Craig L. Rice (D)

District 15

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3090

craig.rice@house.state.md.us

» “Delegate Rice is extremely supportive of open and transparent government. Therefore, he would support this bill.”

– Alex Gudger, aide to Del. Rice

Veronica L. Turner (D)

District 26

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3212

veronica.turner@house.state.md.us

» “I would have no objection to posting the budget to the Internet as a searchable database for Marylanders.”

Washington area delegates who are undecided or who declined to respond

Kathleen M. Dumais (D)

District 15

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3052

kathleen.dumais@house.state.md.us

» “I would support such a Web site for the Maryland budget-provided that the Committee of Jurisdiction passes the bill and the bill is funded. I have no idea what the fiscal note on this bill is-and, until I see that, I cannot take a firm position. … All I can tell you at this point is that conceptually it is a good idea.”

Marilyn R. Goldwater (D)

District 16

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3454

marilyn.goldwater@house.state.md.us

» Has not had a chance to see the bill, and she would rather not comment on it at this time until she has had an opportunity to learn more about it.

Gerron S. Levi (D)

District 23A

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3101

gerron.levi@house.state.md.us

» “I would like to review this bill further, because I am not immediately aware of it.”

William A. Bronrott

District 16

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3642

william.bronrott@house.state.md.us

» “I believe that the Maryland budget is currently available to the public on the Maryland General Assembly Web site. Any person interested in seeing the proposed FY08 budget that is now under consideration by the Maryland General Assembly should be able to access those bills on our Web site.”

Jay Walker (D)

District 26

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3581

jay.walker@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Jeffery D. Waldstreicher (D)

District 18

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3130

jeff.waldstreicher@house.state.md.u

– No response.

Michael L. Vaughn (D)

District 24

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3691

michael.vaughn@house.state.md.us

– No response.

Joseph F. Vallario Jr. (D)

District 27A

Calvert & Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3488

» No response.

Kris Valderrama (D)

District 26

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3210

kris.valderrama@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Herman L. Taylor Jr. (D)

District 14

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3380

herman.taylor@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Luiz R. S. Simmons (D)

District 17

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3037

luiz.simmons@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Justin D. Ross (D)

District 22

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3652

justin.ross@house.state.md.us

» No response.

James E. Proctor Jr. (D)

District 27A

Calvert & Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3083

james.proctor@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk (D)

District 21

Anne Arundel & Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3502

joseline.peña.melnyk@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Doyle L. Niemann (D)

District 47

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3326

doyle.niemann@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Heather R. Mizeur (D)

District 20

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3493

heather.mizeur@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Susan C. Lee (D)

District 16

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3649

susan.lee@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Jane E. Lawton (D)

District 18

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3638

jane.lawton@house.state.md.us

– No response.

Benjamin F. Kramer (D)

District 19

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3485

benjamin.kramer@house.state.md.us

– No response.

Nancy J. King (D)

District 39

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3037

nancy.king@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Anne R. Kaiser (D)

District 14

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3036

anne.kaiser@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Jolene Ivey (D)

District 47

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3478

jolene.ivey@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Thomas Hucker (D)

District 20

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3474

tom.hucker@house.state.md.us

» No response.

James W. Hubbard (D)

District 23A

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3103

james.hubbard@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Carolyn J. B. Howard (D)

District 24

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3919

carolyn.howard@house.state.md.u

» No response.

Marvin E. Holmes Jr. (D)

District 23B

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3310

marvin.holmes@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Sheila Ellis Hixson (D)

District 20

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3469

sheila.hixson@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Henry B. (Hank) Heller (D)

District 19

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3528

henry.heller@house.state.md.us

– No response.

Anne Healey (D)

District 22

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3961

anne.healey@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Ana Sol Gutierrez (D)

District 18

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3181

ana.gutierrez@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Melony Ghee Griffith (D)

District 25

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3557

melony.griffith@house.state.md.us

» No response.

James W. Gilchrist (D)

District 17

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3744

jim.gilchrist@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Tawanna P. Gaines (D)

District 22

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3058

tawanna.gaines@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Barbara A. Frush (D)

District 21

Anne Arundel & Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3114

barbara.frush@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Brian J. Feldman (D)

District 15

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3186

brian.feldman@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Dereck E. Davis (D)

District 25

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3519

dereck.davis@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Aisha N. Braveboy (D)

District 25

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3707

aisha.braveboy@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Joanne C. Benson (D)

District 24

Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3692

joanne.benson@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Kumar P. Barve (D)

District 17

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3464

kumar.barve@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Benjamin S. Barnes (D)

District 21

Anne Arundel & Prince George’s County

(301) 858-3046

ben.barnes@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Charles E. Barkley (D)

District 39

Montgomery County

(301) 858-3001

charles.barkley@house.state.md.us

» No response.

Washington Examiner editorial intern Stephanie Aulis contributed to this report.