NEW YORK, NY November 28, 2006 —Every year, state legislators work to bring home the bacon to their districts. But in the past, they did not attach their names to the funded initiatives known as member items. All that has changed this year. WNYC's Elaine Rivera reports.

For the first time ever, a constituent can see which legislator was able to bring money to various projects in their communities. In the past, legislators left their names off the items. But after an upstate newspaper sued to have the additional information listed, the assembly yesterday released the legislators' names and their initiatives for the past four years.

Millions of dollars are doled out for various projects from health services to educational programs. Big winners in New York City include a $525,000 initiative for the Primary Care Development Corporation it was sponsored by Assemblyman Richard Gottfried. For WNYC, I'm Elaine Rivera.