Sykes introduces legislation to restore auditor's authority

For immediate release: Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006

CONTACT:  Ramona Ragland (614) 466-3100

Sykes introduces legislation to restore auditor’s authority

State Representative Barbara A. Sykes has introduced legislation that would restore check-signing authority to the state auditor’s office.

House Bill 655, introduced Tuesday, would repeal a provision included in this year’s budget corrections bill that removes the state auditor’s authority to sign state-issued checks.  Instead, starting Dec. 1, the Director of Budget and Management – who reports directly to the governor – will take over this responsibility.

“The signing of a state check is, in effect, a guarantee to the people of Ohio that their money is not being spent recklessly or fraudulently ,” said Sykes, D-Akron.  “Allowing an appointee from the governor to sign off on checks requested by that same office strips away a long-standing and essential check and balance of our state government.”

Currently, the state auditor writes more than 10 million checks each year for the state payroll, Medicaid payments and payments to the suppliers of state goods.  Statutory language describes the signing of checks as providing a warrant, a formal assurance or authorization of the state that the treasurer of state is required to pay.

“If we have learned anything from the headlines of scandal and corruptions swirling around Columbus, it is that state government left unchecked leads to misuse of taxpayers’ dollars,” said Sykes.  “The last thing we should be doing is taking the most basic auditing function, check writing, out of the checks-and-balances function of Ohio’s government.”

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