Will Louisiana Eliminate Inspector General?

From Lou Burnett of Fax Net Update May 22, 2012:

Louisiana was tabbed by Governing Magazine as the most corrupt state in the country over the past decade, and now the Legislature wants to eliminate the position of Inspector General (IG).

The House of Representatives has already voted to eliminate the IG’s office.  It’s up to the Senate to restore it, and the fate of the office is currently in the hands of the Senate Finance Committee.  IG Stephen Street told the committee, “We have no budget so I think I can talk to you about why we ought to have a budget.”

Street, who has been IG since 2008, pointed out that his office operates on $1.7 million a year, but that is the past fiscal year, his office has uncovered $3.2 million in fraud and corruption.

“There will always be those who want to shut down OIG.  Some of those people are in federal prison or may be facing that possibility.  Some of them may have been the subject of IG investigations or have friends that were.  Some just can’s accept we won’t play politics,” Street said.

State Sen. Greg Tarver, D-Shreveport, who is a member of the Finance Committee said, “Well, my personal opinion is we do need the Inspector General Office in Louisiana.”     He and other senators told Street that the House vote doesn’t mean the job is done and that many people support the watchdog office.

The mission of the IG’s office is to help prevent and detect waste, mismanagement, abuse, and corruption in the executive branch of state government without regard to partisan politics, allegiances, status or influence.

It is an independent office within the Office of the Governor. The office is a law enforcement agency with all the investigative powers and privileges appurtenant to law enforcement.