Neighbor News
Mushinsky Pushes For Agency Accountability
Supports three proposals before the Government Administration and Elections Committee (GAE)
State Representative Mary Mushinsky (D-Wallingford), advocating for more government transparency and accountability, testified in support of three proposals before the legislature’s Government Administration and Elections Committee (GAE) that would restore governmental oversight.
“The legislature’s elimination of the long-standing Program Review and Investigations Committee removed periodic review and in-depth analysis of various state-funded programs and contracted services and there is now a void in expenditure review,” Rep. Mushinsky said. “This short-sighted decision removed the ability of the legislature to scrutinize expenditures in a bipartisan way.”
The measures before the GAE Committee for consideration are:
Find out what's happening in Wallingfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Raised House Bill 179, An Act Requiring a Performance Audit of Certain Government Programs;
- Raised House Bill 180, An Act Requiring Executive and Legislative Review of Certain Quasi-Public Agency Contracts;
- Raised House Bill 5178, An Act Requiring Executive and Legislative Review of Certain Quasi-Public Agency Contracts and an Annual Review of Each Quasi-Public Agency
Rep. Mushinsky added, “All quasi-public agencies should submit copies of contracts to the respective committee and the Attorney General for further reviewing, including large bonuses and separation agreements. We know these have been a controversial issue in the case of higher education institutions, but they are also of concern in quasi-public agencies such as airport authorities.”
The State Auditors testified that they did not have sufficient staff to carry out the proposed new assignment. Mushinsky recommended the committee require the Auditors focus only on the largest contracts as an initial step.
