House committee deadlocks on statewide Office of the Inspector General amendment, DE5 fails 7-7
Loading...
Summary
Representative Norris presented a delete-everything amendment (DE5) to create a statewide Office of the Inspector General with broad investigative powers and reporting requirements. After debate over consultation and procedure, the committee recorded a 7-7 roll call and the DE5 did not pass.
Representative Norris presented DE5 to Senate File 856 as an author's amendment to create a statewide Office of the Inspector General (OIG) with legislative vetting, statutory independence, investigative and subpoena powers, transparency requirements and an initial appropriation to fund startup operations.
Key features cited by the author included bipartisan review of nominees modeled on the Legislative Audit Commission, removal only for cause with a public hearing and support from three-fifths of the Senate and three-fifths of the House, authority to investigate any public or private entity that receives public funds, the power to issue subpoenas or refer matters to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the ability to request court orders to freeze distributions when credible fraud is identified. Representative Norris said the DE would prioritize prevention, not just after-the-fact investigation, and pledged to revise fiscal language after a revised fiscal note.
Debate and objections: Some members objected that the amendment was posted without adequate consultation with stakeholders and caucus members and that customary committee practice for author's amendments had not been followed in this instance. Committee staff clarified rules on referrals to Judiciary for data-practices changes and said it is customary at a first committee stop to adopt an author's amendment so an author can shape language, though they noted recent unusual committee composition and dynamics.
Roll call and outcome: The committee took a roll-call vote on DE5. The clerk recorded seven ayes and seven nays and announced the motion did not prevail; DE5 was not adopted. Chair Cleavorn then adjourned the committee. Representative Norris said she hoped for further bipartisan talks and another hearing to refine the proposal.
What comes next: With DE5 not adopted, the bill remains at this committee stop for further work; Representative Norris and other members said they intend to continue negotiations across caucuses to refine an OIG proposal they say is necessary to prevent fraud and strengthen oversight.
