IA: Bill restricting state auditor's access to information heads to governor's desk

[RandySF]

A bill limiting the state auditor’s access to certain information heads to the governor’s desk Wednesday, despite concerns from Democrats and auditing groups that the measure will hamper investigations of waste and fraud and put federal funding at risk.

Senate File 478 passed the Senate on a 33-16 vote. Sen. Mike Bousselot, R-Ankeny, said the Legislature is acting as a “watchdog of the auditor,” in light of Iowa Supreme Court decisions on subpoenas by Democratic state auditor Rob Sand.

Bousselot said a 2021 Iowa Supreme Court decision highlighted the need to define in law when an audit begins. Another state Supreme Court decision in April found Sand’s office did not have the authority to investigate the Iowa Communities Assurance Pool (ICAP), an insurance pool providing coverage for hundreds of Iowa public entities. Sand initiated the audit after the Associated Press reported in 2019 that board members frequently held meetings at out-of-state resorts.

Bousselot said the court rulings show “legitimate public policy questions exist,” which the bill answers, and protects Iowans’ private information.



https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/04/26/bill-restricting-state-auditors-access-to-information-heads-to-governors-desk/

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. GOP are violent terrorists, traitors. ALL of them.

[LonePirate]

2. Imagine the RW outrage if Dems had thwarted a Repub's audit of a public entity's frivolous spending.

[DFW]

3. In other words, Rob wanted to expose Republicans who were wasting public money on themselves

And those doing the wasting didn’t want to be exposed, so they passed a bill forbidding the State Auditor from exposing them. They know full well that Rob has a superb track record of exposing corruption, and that as corrupt members of the Iowa legislature, they definitely did NOT want to get exposed—and thus possibly indicted (Rob is a former prosecutor, he knows what to set in motion when he uncovers corruption).

If a bunch of Iowa Republicans felt like holding secret meetings at Jackson Hole, Aspen, Maui or wherever, and at taxpayer expense, obviously the LAST thing they want is to have it reported on the front page of the Des Moines Register. Rob’s ability to track illegal scams has been written up in the New York Times before. When he finds something big, the national media listen. If the Iowa Republicans are guilty here, it makes perfect sense for them to do everything in their power to cover it up—which, it appears, is exactly what they are doing.

[DBoon]

4. I wonder if this will have any impact on Iowa state bond ratings?

less transparency = more risk to lenders

[brooklynite]

5. Just dropped a message to Rob to see what this will mean

(he’s a personal friend)