The Grand Canyon State received an overall score of 64 – a D grade – in a new State Integrity Investigation, a data-driven assessment of government accountability and transparency in all 50 states by the Center for Public Integrity and Global Integrity. Despite the low grade, Arizona ranked 22nd among all the states.

From lobbyists to lawmakers to advocacy groups, reactions to flaws in Arizona lobbying reports reflect an image of a system that needs to be improved.

Some proposals for how to improve the system have emerged, but any agreement on the solutions, not to mention the political will to enact them, still eludes lawmakers two years after the Fiesta Bowl lobbying scandal roped in dozens of politicians, top bowl officials and a handful of lobbyists.

Amid all the dark budget news in Arizona, the recently launched state budget transparency website provides taxpayers with a ray of light. This new website — Arizona OpenBooks (http://openbooks.az.gov) — while far from perfect, should bring transparency and greater accountability to future state budgets.

It’s funny how becoming a politician often changes a person’s perspective on government transparency.

The Arizona Legislature is advancing a bill that would require local government entities to create their own websites showing detailed information on revenues and expenditures.

"I think they've probably exhausted everything." - Sen. Paula Aboud, a Democrat from Tucson, on the payday loan industry's multiple attempts to get legislative approval to continue operating past its June 30 sunset date.