Lawmakers have found a way to stick a knife in a program they have always despised: the state's voter-approved performance audits that check up on how well taxpayer money is being spent. The just-passed budget diverted $22.6 million from performance audits to other state spending. As Jason Mercier of the Washington Policy Center writes, there is only one hope left: a veto by Gov. Jay Inslee of at least a part of the budget that transfers $10 million from an account specifically established by an initiative measure for funding the performance audits.
One ray of hope: Mercier notes that Gov. Chris Gregoire vetoed an even bigger raid on performance audits in 2009, in the midst of the recession. Of course, it's particularly easy for the Legislature to go after the program now, since it's run by State Auditor Troy Kelley, who is on trial in a federal court over theft allegations. But Gov. Jay Inslee might well want to use a veto to show that he is as dedicated as fellow Democrat Gregoire to systematic oversight of state programs.
