(CONCORD) New Hampshire residents will finally be able to see where their state government is spending their money every month. Last Friday, the State of New Hampshire launched a new government transparency website that includes monthly expenditure reports, as well as monthly revenue information, and links to other state budget information.

The Union Leader argues that expanding New Hampshire’s Right to Know Law to cover government-funded non-profits may have unintended consequences.

Our colleague Michael Barnhart writes on the importance of government transparency in the pages of the Washington Examiner.

Jason Stverak is President of the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, a leading journalism non-profit organization. The Franklin Center is dedicated to providing reporters, citizens and non-profit organizations at the state and local level with training, expertise and technical support. For more information on the Franklin Center please visit www.FranklinCenterHQ.org.

Gerry Storch quotes some people who miss the point in his Feb. 26 column, The pros and cons of newspapers partnering with ‘citizen journalism’ networks. Four sources who cited “The Negative” about citizen journalism do not understand what it truly is and does. Even the five professionals quoted for “The Positive” disparage the credibility and integrity of citizens who choose – as did those at the founding of our nation — to make journalism their chosen field and passion.

The point all of them miss is traditional news media reporters and editors are being devastated by a financial crisis, not a journalism crisis. Somebody has to fill the void.

Read the entire column at Online Journalism Review.

(CONCORD) The New Hampshire Senate has approved a bill that would require state officials to post online any payments made by state government. The bill, SB 359, cleared the full Senate on a voice vote yesterday, and now heads to the Senate Finance Committee for a review of its potential cost.

The Nashua Telegraph wants to lift the curtain on talks between the City of Nashua and Pennichuck Water.

The Washington Post reports on the Obama Administration’s reluctance to comply with the Freedom of Information Act.

Grant Bosse joins Charlie Sherman to discuss efforts to bring the health care negotiations into the light in this week’s edition of New Hampshire Watchdog on WGIR.

New Hampshire Watchdog’s Grant Bosse reports on efforts to bring the health care negotiations out from behind closed doors in this report for WGIR.

The U.S. Supreme Court has a very different definition of “open court” than I do, barring streaming video of the Proposition 8 trial in California.