Welcome to Alabama Right to Know, where we believe you deserve the Right to Know what is happening in the Alabama's legislative system. 

Currently, a quiet, yet bold movement is sweeping across the nation. That movement, which transcends political boundaries, is to have transparency through information technology by creating online searchable databases regarding government spending and promises made by elected officials.

The Alabama-Right-to-Know website is advancing that vitally important goal of full accountability to taxpayers. During Alabama’s 2006 state election Republican and Democratic candidates committed to policy platforms, promising to fulfill them by the end of their four-year term. The issues addressed in their platforms were considered to be pressing on each party’s agenda. Yet pressing as these promises were, history has proven that platforms are too often forgotten, leaving legislators off the hook and voters in the dark. Now, thanks to the Alabama Policy Institute’s “Right to Know” project, which tracks bills that have been introduced and compares them to original political platforms, voters can determine whether promises made are promises kept.

This movement to increase transparency in government spending rests on the notion that transparency begets accountability - a principle that was understood by the Founding Fathers.

We might hope to see the finances of the Union as clear and intelligible as a merchant’s books, so that every member of Congress and every man of any mind in the Union should be able to comprehend them, to investigate abuses, and consequently to control them. -- Thomas Jefferson

Over 200 years ago, the Founding Fathers had the vision. Today, with the technological advances at hand, we have the tools at our disposal to make it a reality. At the Alabama Policy Institute we invite you to get informed and get involved in the very important business of freedom.

For a detailed account of the legislative process, please visit:

www.legislature.state.al.us/misc/legislativeprocess/legislativeprocess_ml.html