Financial Transparency Score 2024

APRIL 23, 2024

Truth in Accounting has once again created a transparency score for the financial reporting by state governments to encourage the publication of transparent and accurate government financial information.

Hot off the Press! The State Report is Out: How Did Your State Do???

DECEMBER 10, 2023

Now Available

Our annual report on state fiscal health. Debt among the states improved slightly. Going from $1.2 trillion down to $938.6 billion. 

What happened? 

How did your state do? Read the full report below. 

https://www.truthinaccounting.org/news/detail/financial-state-of-the-states-2023

Accounting is a methodology for measuring value. It's the process of identifying, measuring, and communicating economic information to enable well-informed assessments and choices for those who rely on the informationgood accounting matters!  

 

Financial State of the States 2022

OCTOBER 24, 2022

This year's report found that 31 states did not have enough money to pay all of their bills.

New study measures financial transparency among state governments

NOVEMBER 16, 2021

PRESS RELEASE

Financial Transparency Score 2021

NOVEMBER 16, 2021

To encourage the publication of transparent and accurate government financial information, Truth in Accounting has created a transparency score for financial reporting by the states. 

Watchdog report gives Washington State a ‘D’ for its government financial condition

SEPTEMBER 28, 2021 | KFLD 870 AM NEWSTALK (WASHINGTON) | by John McKay

By John McKay, includes “Truth in Accounting (TIA) is a watchdog group who track, report and monitor the financial performance and actions of all 50 state governments. Founded in 2002, it's basically a group of high-level accountants, analysts, financial experts, and media workers.”

Majority of state finances worsened during beginning of pandemic

SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Financial State of the States 2021

SEPTEMBER 28, 2021

Truth in Accounting's twelfth annual Financial State of the States report, a nationwide analysis of the most recent state government financial information.

Thirty-nine states ill-prepared for coronavirus pandemic

SEPTEMBER 22, 2020

The 2020 Financial State of the States report surveys the fiscal health of the 50 states prior to the coronavirus pandemic. This data is released today by Truth in Accounting (TIA), a think tank that analyzes government financial reporting.

Washington state auditor and lawmakers target ‘unauditable’ local government districts

AUGUST 24, 2020 | THE DAILY CHRONICLE | by Joseph O’Sullivan

Burrow deep into the most obscure of Washington's local governments and you'll find boutique districts that control spending for cemeteries, drainage infrastructure, mosquito management and fire protection.

State general revenue shortfall projections

JUNE 1, 2020 | by Bill Bergman, Sheila Weinberg

How large could the shortfall in state government general revenues be, amidst the coronavirus and related crises? 

Seattle needs $5,400 per taxpayer to get out of ‘financial trench,’ report finds

MARCH 2, 2020 | KOMO NEWS (WASHINGTON) | by Karina Mazhukhina

Seattle would need $5,400 per taxpayer to dig itself out of a ‘financial trench’ and pay all of its bills.

OMB just made a sneaky change to the Antideficiency Act protocol

OCTOBER 18, 2019 | TAXPAYERS FOR COMMON SENSE

With everything else that is going on in Washington, a sneaky change to guidance for federal employees who discover lawbreaking in the spending of appropriated funds might seem like small potatoes. But we believe proper implementation of the Antideficiency Act oversight provisions are important because they provide.

Don the real estate guy is not your savior

APRIL 1, 2019 | ABEL DANGER

In case readers think this is all hyperbole or we’re being negative about Don the real estate guy, look for yourselves.

Evans School professor Justin Marlowe appointed to Washington Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors

SEPTEMBER 11, 2018 | UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON | by Peter Kelley

Justin Marlowe, a professor in the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, has been named a member of Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s Council of Economic Advisors.

After unfavorable audit, feds pare back Bechtel’s spending authority at Hartford

AUGUST 1, 2018 | SEATTLE TIMES | by Hal Bernton

The federal government is reining in the power of Bechtel National Industries to spend taxpayer dollars at the Hanford site in Eastern Washington by requiring many subcontracts to first get reviewed by Energy Department officials.

Trump administration takes on unions over ‘skimming’ Medicaid funds

JULY 24, 2018 | THE DAILY SIGNAL | by Fred Lucas

Sally Coomer of Seattle, who cares for her disabled adult daughter at home, doesn’t like the fact that union dues are deducted from the Medicaid payment she gets for her services under a Washington state policy.

How states are making it harder to leave unions

JULY 16, 2018 | GOVERNING | by Katherine Barrett, Richard Greene

Just over two weeks since the Janus ruling, about a third of the affected states have taken actions meant to soften its impact on unions' membership and revenue.

States turn to new tool to sustain pension system funding

JUNE 1, 2018 | THE PEW CHARITABLE TRUSTS | by Greg Mennis, Stephen Fehr

Called stress test reporting, this new practice can show policymakers how adverse economic scenarios could affect retirement system investments and state budgets.

Financing the new water infrastructure

MAY 30, 2018 | NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES | by Cynthia Koehler

When it comes to addressing the nation’s water infrastructure crisis, cities and towns are ground zero.

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