Massachusetts House Democrats have voted to grant the State Auditor’s Office the sole authority to select an independent firm to conduct a review of the chamber’s finances. This decision was made in response to a successful audit law championed by Auditor Diana DiZoglio. The new internal rules change comes only one week after residents voted to approve a ballot question giving more authority to the Auditor’s office.
House Speaker Ron Mariano acknowledged that the change was made in response to the overwhelming support for DiZoglio’s ballot question. The new rule change, passed with a 135-10 vote, allows the Auditor’s office to recommend a private auditing firm to examine the House’s finances. If the recommendation is not provided within 30 days, House officials can choose a firm.
The Auditor, however, criticized the change on social media, arguing that it could limit the independence of the audit process. She expressed concerns that legislators may have control over the scope and outcome of the audit. Despite this, House Democrats maintain that the change demonstrates their commitment to upholding the will of the voters.
The Senate has not indicated plans to make a similar change at this time, but they are exploring ways to increase transparency. The internal rule change in the House specifically addresses the chamber’s finances, while DiZoglio seeks to conduct audits on high-risk areas like state contracting and the use of taxpayer-funded nondisclosure agreements.
Mariano and Spilka have indicated they are considering changes to the language of the audit law, but for now, the internal rule change remains separate from those considerations. DiZoglio has called on the Governor and Attorney General to intervene if lawmakers attempt to alter the audit law.
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