(WA) Senate fails to adopt independent performance audits by one vote

Evergreen Freedom Foundation ^ | 4-7-05 | Jason Mercier

[truth49]

Approves restrictive House bill

OLYMPIA—The Senate fell one vote short today of adopting truly independent and comprehensive performance audits. Instead the Senate approved ESHB 1064, which creates an unelected political board to establish the criteria of any performance audits instituted. The bill passed by a vote of 30-19.

Amendments offered by Sen. Pam Roach (R) and Sen. Bill Finkbeiner (R) would have allowed the state auditor to establish the scope of performance audits and conduct them without having to gain permission from an unelected political board. Both amendments failed by votes of 24-25. The language in the defeated amendments closely resembled the draft bill the state auditor's office (SAO) and House Speaker Frank Chopp (D-Seattle) worked on earlier this year, which was never brought to the House floor for consideration.

"Based on the signers of EFF's performance audit pledge, we thought the legislature would finally allow the people to benefit from truly independent comprehensive performance audits," said Jason Mercier, budget analyst for the Evergreen Freedom Foundation. "But that would have required all who signed the pledge to honor their word."

"With today's vote, Initiative 900 is the last proposal standing that allows the state auditor to do the job we hired him to do without having to jump through political hoops," said Mercier.

Last year, seventy legislators signed a performance audit pledge sponsored by the EFF, which read in-part: "I pledge to support independent comprehensive performance audits of state agencies. The scope of performance audits should be established by the elected state auditor, not an unelected group of citizens appointed by the governor and legislature."

Among the EFF pledge signers were Sen. Jim Kastama (D) and Sen. Marilyn Rasmussen (D)—both of whom voted against the failed amendments.

Additional Information
Performance audit bill striker?
EFF performance audit pledge
Pledge signers

[bigfootbob]

RINO's Bob Oke, (26th) and Dan Swecker, (20th) strike again!

[Libertarianize the GOP]

Jim Kastama is a sleazy politician. He will feign support for a position if he thinks he might gain a momentary advantage but then betray that same position without a second thought.