State Auditor Rebecca Otto calls privatization bill a 'backstabbing'

[Eric J in MN]

A bill passed the MN Senate to let counties hire their own auditors instead of being audited by the state.

It's similar to when financial firms hire their own auditors and get approval for corruption.

===
Otto, a DFLer who is serving her third term, said the overnight deal was lawmakers “pulling a fast one on the taxpayers of Minnesota behind closed doors.”

“We don’t have a profit motive, they do. There’s a difference,” Otto said Monday. “We are truly an independent audit shop and we are always there for the taxpayers’ best interest.”
===

Please ask Governor Dayton to veto this.

http://www.startribune.com/state-auditor-otto-calls-privatization-measure-a-backstabbing-behind-closed-doors/304194651/

[progree]

1. The heavily Democratic majority Senate, I might add, sigh. nm

[question everything]

2. I don't get it. Now Dayton demands that this bill be repealed

Dayton won't call special session to finish budget unless lawmakers repeal auditor changes

http://www.startribune.com/dayton-ties-special-session-to-restoring-auditor-functions/306028871/

Why, then did he sign it? Why not Veto?

[kickysnana]

6. A trap that I hope does not stand the legality test.

http://www.startribune.com/hasty-3-a-m-vote-triggered-minnesota-s-budget-impasse/306384741/

...“The Legislature probably cannot enact a law that strips away powers from a constitutional office and thereby undermine the core functions of the auditor’s office,” Schultz said. “It’s one branch [of government] telling another branch how it has to act, in ways that might violate that separation of powers provision, by rendering it impossible to do her [Otto’s] job.”...

After the late-night hallway conversation, Pappas and Carlson were left with a difficult choice. If they dug in, they would hold up the closing of a major budget bill that funds many aspects of state government and some 7,000 state jobs. Their refusal would have threatened an on-time conclusion to the end of session.

Carlson said he and Pappas hoped Dayton would veto the legislation. He had vetoed similar legislation before.

Perhaps they needed this dirty trick out in the open and talked about?

[glinda]

3. This is devastating.....

[dflprincess]

4. This was payback staged by Bakk and other Iron Rangers who are not happy

with Otto's position on mining.

The Auditor's office is established in the state Constitution - I really wonder if they can do this, we had to have a vote on an amendment to do away with the state Treasurer's office.

Shame on the legislators who didn't pay enough attention and voted for this and I have to wonder what Dayton was thinking when he signed the bill.

[scarletwoman]

5. Is it possible he just didn't read the whole bill in which this appeared?

It sounds to me like it was just one piece of a larger bill that covered a bunch of different issues. So maybe he signed the bill because most of it was okay?

It is kind of weird, though, and the optics are really bad, imo.

The other thing is, I thought the MN legislature passed a "line-item-veto" thing while Pawlenty was in office - am I remembering wrong?

[Eric J in MN]

7. Rebecca Otto urged Dayton to veto the bill

...because of the private audits provision.

[glinda]

8. Dayton gave in....

this is really bad that this happened.

[scarletwoman]

9. I hope it goes to the Courts.

I think there's a good argument to be made that it's unconstitutional.

[glinda]

10. I heard they will address it next year??????

They can destroy a lot of nature and species during that time. I hope it goes asap.

[Owl]

11. Damn!

[glinda]

12. Repub. are going to attack MN Natural Resources with such fervor that it will make your head spin.

I am literally sick to my stomach. I cannot take these people who are destroying our State.

[Mister Ed]

13. I've written to both of my state legislators to ask them to repeal this measure in special session.

Probably a good idea for others to do the same, and let them know people do notice this stuff.

There are many topics on which I feel it might be a waste of time to write to my Republican senator and representative, but on this one, I think they might be persuaded. The points I stressed are those discussed in this thread: that the measure has an unsavory appearance, that it opens the door to corruption and mis-spending of state-allocated funds, and that it's probably unconstitutional.

[scarletwoman]

14. It's too late, the special session ended early yesterday morning.

https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2015/06/legislature-passes-budget-bills-after-dramatic-special-session

[question everything]

15. Still, it is not supposed to take place until the summer of 2017

to if the Democrats get their act together and we get back the majority, perhaps this can be repealed.