Kentucky garnered the top grade among states for its openness in allowing the public to track government spending, a consumer advocacy group reported Tuesday.

The report issued by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group rated the states in providing online access to government spending information.

Kentucky received the only `A' among the states, and the report called the Bluegrass state a trendsetter in timely disclosures on its Web site meant to promote government transparency.

The state's Web site includes state agency budgets, salary information for state employees plus databases for grants, contract information and line-item expenditures.

The Web site has been available since Jan. 1, 2009, and has had several million hits since its inception, according to a spokeswoman for Gov. Steve Beshear.

Most information on the Web site is updated twice daily and is maintained by the state Finance and Administration Cabinet.

"I'm proud of the efforts we have made, along with the bipartisan support of all of the state's executive branch constitutional officers and Kentucky's judicial branch, to put our checkbooks online for public view in a comprehensive and user-friendly manner," Beshear said.

The report said spending transparency "checks corruption, bolsters public confidence in government and promotes fiscal responsibility."

At least 32 states currently mandate that residents be able to access an online database of government expenditures with "checkbook-level detail," it said.

It said states like Kentucky that have launched user-friendly Web sites with a range of spending information are reaping benefits of greater government accountability and cost savings.

Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates, said that in tough economic times, government accountability in spending public tax dollars "is more important than ever."

Brooks said he hoped Kentucky lawmakers "take similar efforts to increase transparency in how Kentucky makes its decisions regarding spending priorities." He noted that Kentucky legislative leaders have met privately to try to hash out a new state budget.

Richard Beliles, chairman of Common Cause of Kentucky, said the state Web site has made it much easier for people to monitor government spending.

"My impression is we have made some good progress on open government" as a result of the online initiative, he said.

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