Skip to main content

On the Records: Sunrise?

The Texas Ethics Commission and the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts are opening up more of their data to the public at no charge.

Republish
Susan Combs, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, speaks with a member of the audience during TribLive, a monthly conversation with public officials held by the Texas Tribune.
Credit: Jacqueline Mermea

We've learned more about Comptroller Susan Combs' ideas for opening up more of her agency's data, as she announced at last week's TribLive event.

Here's a breakdown of the plans, according to Combs spokesman Allen Spelce:

• Placing responses to common open-records requests on a public server free for anyone to download

• Expanding the "Where The Money Goes" feature, which allows users to search for state spending

• Making as many as 15 new raw data sets, in text and Microsoft Excel formats, available and free to download

Spelce said the agency has set a goal of having the new features by April. We'll track the progress and report back on the initiative, which we hope might lead to other agencies doing the same.

The Texas Ethics Commission, for example, last week decided to make its full campaign-finance database available for download. That's 350 MB of data, and more than 6 million records, at no charge.

Texas Tribune donors or members may be quoted or mentioned in our stories, or may be the subject of them. For a complete list of contributors, click here.

Texans need truth. Help us report it.

Independent Texas reporting needs your support. The Texas Tribune delivers fact-based journalism for Texans, by Texans — and our community of members, the readers who donate, make our work possible. Help us bring you and millions of others in-depth news and information. Will you support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation of any amount?

Yes, I'll donate today

Information about the authors

Matt Stiles’s staff photo

Matt Stiles

Reporter and News Apps Editor

Contributors

Learn about The Texas Tribune’s policies, including our partnership with The Trust Project to increase transparency in news.

Explore related story topics

Courts Criminal justice Economy State government Budget Campaign finance Public Information Act State agencies Texas Ethics Commission