Issue Position: Increase Transparency in Government

Issue Position

An open government is the bedrock of a free society. For decades, Texas has had some of the strongest open government laws in the nation -- laws ensure that Texans can know what their government is doing and how their government makes the decisions that affect their lives.

A 2005 recipient of the James Madison Award for his unwavering commitment to open government, Greg Abbott has championed greater transparency throughout his administration. He has supported bills passed by the Texas Legislature to bring the Open Meetings Act into the 21st Century, to require public officials to undergo training in Texas' open government laws and to open the investment of public funds to more scrutiny.

Additionally, Greg Abbott has pursued stricter oversight of public pension funds in order to protect retirees and taxpayers. He urged pension boards to prohibit fund trustees and managers from working for companies doing business with the boards, require registration of pension fund actuaries, and recommended pension boards to have at least one member with investment expertise. Greg Abbott believes that sound public pension funds are necessary in order to avoid taxpayer bailouts.

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