GOP Lawmakers Look To Scrap Legislative Audit Bureau

Two Republican state representatives are working on a bill that would abolish a nonpartisan bureau tasked with auditing other state agencies.

The lawmakers, Reps. David Craig and Adam Jarchow, want to replace the Legislative Audit Bureau with “independent inspectors general” appointed by the leaders of the state Assembly and Senate. Craig, a Big Bend Republican, said individual agencies would have their own inspectors general who he asserts would be more proactive.

The LAB recently released a scathing review of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, the state’s public-private jobs creation agency. Craig said his proposed audit system could have uncovered the problems at WEDC earlier.

“If there’s a problem in a state agency, I’d like that to be picked up on and snuffed out as quickly as possible,” he said. “I’m not 100 percent sure what went wrong, but I’d like to believe that that would never have happened had there been a watchdog actively operating inside the agency.”

According to Craig, his system would be transparent and more efficient. But Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, a ranking Democrat on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, doesn’t like the idea.

“The ignorance that these two legislators have is, is breathtaking,” she said, referring to Jarchow and Craig.

Vinehout said LAB doesn’t just report how the state’s money was spent, but why. She said fellow members of the audit committee from both parties have questions about why the proposal is being put forward.

“All of us, Democrats and Republicans, are absolutely floored by this attempt to close the window and pull the dark drapes over what’s happening in state government,” Vinehout said.

Vinehout said she doubts the proposal will pass but said that if it does, 80 employees stand to lose their jobs.

The Republican co-chairs of the audit committee released a statement of support for the LAB Tuesday.

Jarchow and Craig said they are looking for co-sponsors and hope to introduce their bill within the next week.