House Speaker Charles McCall’s House Bill 2484 creating the Office of Government Accountability (OGA) won House approval on Tuesday. McCall says the measure would provide another tool to give lawmakers greater oversight of how tax dollars are spent.
“Citizens expect us to hold those who expend taxpayer dollars accountable, but the Legislature needs additional resources to adequately ensure that agencies are using those funds appropriately,” said Speaker McCall. “Neither the House nor the Senate currently has the resources or staff to really examine agency budgets and evaluate programs. This office is a shared goal between House and Senate leadership, and I believe we will have these resources available to us before the 2020 legislative session.”
The OGA would have the power to routinely audit agency budgets and evaluate programs and services. It is much like the LOFT idea of Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat’s Senate Bill 1. McCall is the House author of Treat’s bill.
The House passed the measure 74-19.
