HELENA – Gov. Steve Bullock is putting a searchable database of the state’s individual payments and employee salaries online.
Bullock announced the new website on Thursday. It is located at transparency.mt.gov/checkbook.
The governor says taxpayers can now see how the state’s money is spent, even in small increments.
So far the database covers the past few months. A search of the data showed thousands and thousands of individual “checks” written by the state for contractors, insurers, other government entities, supplies, and other expenses.
Bullock unveiled the online database a day after announcing the initiative in his first State of the State speech.
His office says some payees are listed as confidential to protect citizen privacy, such as recipients of tax refunds.
Bullock commended legislators who had been campaigning for the checkbook.