The Star-Telegram's Aman Batheja is reporting how we've posted the financial disclosure forms for state office holders on our website: 

In the movie All the President’s Men, a shadow-cloaked informant famously advises a young reporter to "Follow the money."

In Texas, doing just that has gotten a little bit easier.

A Houston-based public information advocacy group recently posted the financial disclosure forms for every incumbent state lawmaker.

Although financial disclosure forms are public record, the state does not make them available online, which means that if you want to check if your state Rep. is suddenly pushing to re-evaluate a state contract, you'd have to drive to the Austin offices of the Texas Ethics Commission to see if he just happens to own stock in a competing company.

Making public records readily accessible is a vital part of Texas' Watchdog's mission. Public records, which could include everything from the personnel file of a Texas Youth Commission Counselor to the political donations of trial attorneys and developers, are a handy clue to how your government works. With layoffs and buyouts at newspapers all across Texas, journalists in traditional newsrooms can't keep track of it all.

So give us a hand.