Following the Money in State Lawmaking

Some say money buys influence. If there’s any truth to that, then it’s worth knowing who is buying how much influence over whom. Particularly when it comes to our state-level elected officials.

As the 2016 Regular Session draws to a close, we continue to track nearly 100 pieces of legislation related to K-12 education. (Which is fewer than in years past.)

The video tutorial below shows how to access two web sites to see the source of state lawmakers’ contributions.

The Sunlight Foundation’s OpenStates web site uses open data from Alabama’s legislative web site and presents it in way that actually tells us something. It’s so much more user friendly than the official Alabama legislative information system. (Alabama was one of only four states that earned an “F” in a comparison of how state legislatures make their data publicly available.) Take the time to view the tutorial on how best to use that site to monitor state-level happenings.

Follow the Money, from the National Institute on State Money in Politics, takes it three steps further, aggregating contribution information for lawmakers and for those making those contributions.

Here’s how to find that information for yourself. Happy hunting.