ATLANTA --- The state government is making progress in providing "sunshine law" public information on the Internet, but conditions are still partly cloudy in Georgia, according to a survey by The Associated Press.
The survey of 20 categories, ranging from death certificates to political campaign contributions and expenses, was part of a national campaign by the American Society of Newspaper Editors to gauge online access of public information in all 50 states.
It did not include the Web site www.open.georgia.gov, which was unveiled at the beginning of the year as a gateway for information and documents concerning state expenditures on services.
That site "speaks to the level of transparency that state government is trying to achieve," said Michael Clark, the communications director of the Georgia Technology Authority.
The survey found some excellent online resources in some cases, and stumbling blocks on other agency Web sites.
For example, the State Ethics Commission site was found to have "exemplary" search engine technology to find state officials' financial disclosure reports.
On the other hand, reports on inspections of hospitals, nursing homes and child care centers aren't available online from the Office of Regulatory Services in the Department of Human Resources. Visitors to the site, ors.dhr.georgia.gov, are directed to write to the offices at an Atlanta address to obtain the information at 25 cents per page.
The survey found a lot of comparable school test data at the Department of Education site, www.gadoe.org, but it was difficult to find without some familiarity.
But anyone seeking internal and external audit reports can find a easy-to-use search engine at the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts' site, www.audits.state.ga.us.
State Department of Transportation records of projects and contracts were equally easy to find at tomcat2.dot.state.ga.us. The site offers descriptions of proposals, bids and awards for contractors and consultants.
Authors of the report said surveyors "discovered some states that are doing a fantastic job of providing information to the public; some are outstanding only in certain categories. The survey teams also found some states weren't so good, and others that are working on getting better."
Georgia was ranked in the top third in the nation in Internet access to public information. With data supplied in 14 of the 20 categories, the state tied with five others in 10th place. Texas ranked the highest, with all 20 categories, followed by New Jersey with 18.
The information least likely to be found online were death certificates and gas pump overcharge records, each found on the Web sites of only eight states. Also infrequently posted were schools' building inspections and safety ratings, which are posted by only nine states, and school bus inspection reports, posted in 12 states.
Mr. Clark said one obstacle to complete disclosure is that there is no one agency in charge of what must be displayed online.
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