Des Moines, IA- The Iowa senate has approved a bill that would limit the state Auditor’s access to some confidential information.
Radio Iowa reports that the bill also blocks the state auditor from seeking a court order to get records from state agencies or other state officials.
Republican Senator Mike Bousselot of Ankeny says state Auditor Rob Sand, the only Democrat in statewide office, has argued he can audit anything at any time.
“When government goes too far, we are the watchdogs,” Bousselot says. Bousselot says that Sand, after taking office in 2019 began raising inappropriate questions about negotiations for a billion-dollar deal involving the University of Iowa utilities plant.
“This new, non-CPA auditor looks to see how far the law can go,” Bousselot said, “asks for impossible information about a transaction that isn’t even over yet.” The Iowa Supreme Court would rule in favor of the Auditor in that case.
The bill calls for future disputes regarding government records to be decided by a three-person panel, with representatives from the auditor’s office, the Governor’s office, and the state agency involved.
All 16 Democrats in the Iowa senate voted against the bill, with Democratic Senator Janet Peterson of Des Moines stating, “This is pro-embezzler, this is pro-corruption, this is pro-crony.”
Democratic Senator Janice Weiner of Iowa City says the bill kneecaps the state auditor’s office. “This is Republicans protecting each other and putting their own interests over those of the state,” Weiner says. “We don’t play games with our state’s finances.”
State Auditor Rob Sand says the bill lets government agencies hide records necessary to prove abuse of tax dollars, and allows dishonest insiders to conceal their waste, fraud, and abuse.
Governor Reynolds has not commented on the bill.
