Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt stood alongside Missouri State Rep. Paul Curtman at the State Capitol building in Jefferson City on Tuesday as Curtman highlighted his legislation on the state level which mirrors a recent federal bill requiring government agencies to be transparent in disclosing when taxpayer funds are used for government advertising.
Blunt introduced the Taxpayer Transparency Act in the U.S. Senate a few weeks ago. It states that any advertising paid for by tax dollars must include the disclaimer “paid for by taxpayers.” Curtman’s bill is very similar and was presented to the Missouri State House of Representatives in January.
“Missourians deserve to know how their taxpayer dollars are spent – especially when that hard-earned money is paying for ads to promote ObamaCare and the president’s other damaging policies,” Blunt said. “I’m glad to join State Representative Paul Curtman and Congressman Billy Long (who introduced the House companion bill), as we fight to make government more transparent and accountable.”
“I don’t think anybody doubts that sometimes the government needs to communicate with the people through these mediums,” added Curtman, “but a lack of transparency lends itself to tax dollars being spent by politicians in ways that are reckless and self-serving. It’s rather convenient for politicians to get their name out there by running taxpayer-funded public service announcements or to sell unpopular ideas to the people with their own money.”
Blunt originally introduced the Taxpayer Transparency Act last year to combat the plans of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to spend taxpayer dollars on a million-dollar campaign promoting ObamaCare.