Every week I climb into the depths of the local political blogosphere to find the Sunlight. I use this series to highlight local blogs that do a great job of covering local, state, and congressional political news.  This week I have highlights from Indiana, Florida, Michigan, New York, and New Mexico.

Advance Indiana has a post on the local city-county council ethics commissions new reforms.  A few council members are trying to get a loophole that wouldn’t require council members, who are attorneys, to disclose their clients, who are doing business with the city or county.  It is not an argument that this seems like a huge conflict of interest, even though no wrong doing might happen the perception is there.  Elected officials should work hard to avoid the perception that they are corrupt.

Florida Politics has a post about Gov. Crist’s ride on a corporate jet back from the Super Bowl.  It seems the jet is owned by “Dr. Steven M. Scott of Boca Raton, founder of a large HMO and a hospital physicians network.”  This seems to be a common thing for Gov. Crist I wonder if he discloses each of these courtesy rides?

Media Mouse in Michigan has a post about how state lobbyists have been spending more to influence state politics.  The post also points out shortcomings in the state’s disclosure requirements.

In New York, the Albany Project has a post about how the state senate posted the agreed upon budget online.  This is a first for the state, good job New York Senate!

Only in New Mexico has a thought provoking post on the future of Public Information Officers given the declining printed newspaper industry.  How will people get important government information?  He has some suggestions go and check it out and add some of your own.

Also in New Mexico, Mario Burgos highlights a new watchdog investigations resource the Albuquerque Journal now has.  It seems to be an excellent source for all kinds of information about a variety of issues.