Six years ago, we started CalMatters with a bold mission to deliver strong public service journalism that empowers Californians to engage with their state government. I’m excited to share with you that we’re continuing this commitment with the launch of Glass House: California Legislator Tracker.
Our team has been working hard to create an accessible place where Californians can learn about their lawmakers and monitor their behavior. You can search for your lawmakers by entering your address and find information on your state Senator and Assemblymember.
Each lawmaker has a page that shares their key biographical information, how they lean politically based on their voting record, which committees they serve on, how special interest groups rate them, the politics of their district and their contact information so you can reach out to them.
Check out the tracker yourself, and let me know what you think. We will continue to add features that create more understanding about each legislator including where they get their money and key details about how they work within the policy making process. That’s why I’m asking for your support.
In the coming months, we would like to add enhancements to the Legislator Tracker that would allow us to:
- Map out how legislators, special interests and votes are interconnected on key issues
- Show which legislators receive the most campaign contribution from special interests by category
- Track who is the most successful at getting their bills passed
- Monitor who accepts the most gifts
- See who isn’t showing up for votes
- List campaign finance violations and disclosures
- Make our data open-source to benefit other news organizations and government watchdogs
By supporting this project, you’re playing a crucial role in bringing more transparency to our state government. Will you support our work during our crowdfunding campaign by making a donation today?
Your contribution will help us expand our Legislator Tracker in ways that will get Californians more engaged with their elected leaders.
Thank you,
Dave Lesher
Editor, CalMatters