The OpenGovernment.org website has launched in Minnesota, bringing raw data, news sources and other public information together in a effort to further government transparency.

The site says it "combines official government information with news coverage, blog posts, social media alerts and more to give readers the real story behind what's happening in government across the state."

It's a joint project of the Sunlight Foundation and the Participatory Politics Foundation, with support from the Minnesota Historical Society, and is also active in California, Louisiana, Maryland, Texas, and Wisconsin.

Available on the Minnesota site are: state Legislature information, including bills, member listings, official actions, votes and committees; news and blog coverage; campaign contributions; issue group ratings and official member contact information; Twitter mentions; legislator bios and more.

They're launching the Minnesota site today as thousands of grass-roots political activists from both ideologies come to Minneapolis this weekend for the Netroots Nation and Right Online conferences.

The sponsoring groups also run OpenCongress.org/.