SANTA FE - Two state senators want the budgets and business dealings of school districts, large counties and many cities to be posted on the Internet.

Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, D-Dona Ana, said Thursday she had drafted a bill requiring financial records and expenditures of cities of more than 15,000 to be accessible through the state Sunshine Portal.

The state's three or four largest counties also would be included, said Garcia, who was editing the bill before its submission.

Her colleague, Republican Sen. Sander Rue of Albuquerque, introduced a similar bill Thursday to include public school information on the Sunshine Portal.

"Nearly half the state's budget is dedicated to public education," he said. "All that spending needs to be exposed on this site."

His proposal is SB 327.

Rue said it would require that details about school districts, charter schools and the state Department of Public Education be published on-line.

The Sunshine Portal, up and running, focuses now on details about state government.

Garcia said her bill would require larger municipal and county governments to provide annual operating budgets, cash balances and government contracts of more than $20,000.

She wants the data available no later than July 2013.

Rue's bill contains one provision in addition to publication of school finances and records.

He said he wants a link with the state Human Services Department that would list people who are delinquent in child-support payments.

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Fe Bureau Chief Milan Simonich can be reached at msimonich@tnmnp.com or (505) 820-6898. His blog is at http://elpasotimes.typepad.com/newmexico.