Missouri municipal spending, prescription drug transparency bills advance by John Haughey, The Center Square | February 23, 2021 08:00 AM Print this article
Mandating publicly-accessible websites that offer constituents full disclosure of taxes collected and spent by local governments and requiring price-comparison tools for health care and pharmaceutical consumers have been a trend in state legislatures nationwide for a decade.
A relatively recent strategy, such transparency measures are showing promise raising awareness about how governments collect and spend tax revenues and in lowering costs and enhancing access to health care, especially prescription drugs.
Two such examples have surfaced during Missouri’s 2021 legislative session, which began in June and ends in late May. In fact, the Missouri House has already passed a bill to enhance “community spending” transparency.