State home page earns top grade for government openness

March 26, 2012

OLYMPIA – For the second year in a row, Washington state has earned a perfect score for website transparency, making it one of the most open and accessible state government sites in the nation.

The Sunshine Review, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to government accountability, analyzed more than 6,000 government websites and awarded 214 Sunny Awards for transparency. Washington is one of just of 10 states to receive an 'A' or 'A+' grade for its state government website.

Access Washington earned A+ recognition for providing names and contact information of elected officials and lobbyists; allowing easy access to contracts and tax information; and providing information on ethics policies as well as the Washington Public Records Act.

The award comes in the same month the Center for Public Integrity ranked Washington third in the nation as a leader in integrity.

"Citizens expect their state government to be transparent and accountable and we are constantly looking for innovative ways to meet those expectations," said Gov. Chris Gregoire. "This A+ recognition is an indication of the work we do to keep the residents of Washington engaged in what’s happening."

Since its initial launch in 1998, Access Washington has won multiple awards for service, innovation, communication, quality and excellence. Managed by the state Department of Enterprise Services, the site is the "home page" for state services including suspected fraud reporting, license renewals, employment assistance as well as agency and employee directories.

"People can use this site to access a wide variety of services from reserving a campsite to paying child support,” said Joyce Turner, director of Enterprise Services. “Access Washington helps link the public to the services and information available to them through the state."

Contact:
Jennifer Reynolds, Communications Consultant
360-407-8436
Jennifer.Reynolds@des.wa.gov