All levels of government struggle with developing
procedures for preventing and addressing waste, fraud,
inefficiency and misconduct. While in Wisconsin we
already have a significant contributor to these efforts
in the Legislative Audit Bureau, their mission often
relates to conducting a thorough study of the problem in
the aftermath and identifying potential policy
recommendations for the Legislature.
SB 368 attempts to create a more proactive authority
aimed at prevention and more timely intervention in
ongoing situations of waste, fraud and abuse in state
government. Properly functioning inspectors general
could limit taxpayer loses, more rapidly identify fraud
cases requiring involvement of law
enforcement/Department of Justice, and lead to a more
timely sharing of information on such situations with
the Legislature.
We envision the Office of Inspector General working in a
complimentary manner with the Legislative Audit Bureau.
Each will have functionally different duties, while
sharing an overall mission of combating waste, fraud,
inefficiency and misconduct in state government
operations.
The bill envisions a financing system for the Office of
Inspector General based on assessing costs of the
inspectors general activities to each agency for the
investigations. This financing mechanism would be the
most cost effective for taxpayers.
Since the 1980s, the Legislature has permitted the
executive branch to increase its administrative powers
and spending authority, but repeatedly failed to utilize
the oversight powers of the legislative branch to
protect the interests of the taxpayers. Regardless of
the party in control of the two houses, legislators both
knowingly and unwittingly have empowered the executive
branch to resist our oversight authority. These long
term structural changes have increased the potential
risks of waste, fraud and abuse in state government.
Taxpayers have often been frustrated with the
Legislature’s plodding response to serious problems
within state government.
Passage of SB 368 and the creation of the Office of
Inspector General would be a major step forward for the
Legislature in developing a more aggressive approach to
our constitutionally obligated oversight duties.
Confronting waste, fraud and abuse should not be seen as
a Democrat or Republican issue. It should be a
bipartisan obligation of every member of the Legislature
to protect the interests of the people we serve.
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