The Iowa Senate

State of Iowa

Eighty-First General Assembly

STATEHOUSE

Des Moines, Iowa 50319

For Immediate Release Contact: Kimberly Steenhoek

Wednesday, May 3, 2006 (515) 281-6571

Senate Approves Government Accountability Bill

DES MOINES – The Senate tonight voted 48 to 0 in favor of legislation to improve accountability, strengthen whistleblower protections and increase transparency in government agencies.  The bill now goes to the House for consideration.

Senate Republicans introduced the bill, SF 2410, in response to the recent pay scandal at the Central Iowa Employment and Training Consortium (CIETC).  The Senate amended the whistleblower provisions from the original version. Under the change, the Ombudsman’s office will be charged with investigating any potential wrongdoing and pass their findings to the Public Employees Relations Board to provide relief to the whistleblower.

“This is strong accountability legislation that will ensure greater oversight of taxpayer dollars while providing more sunshine on 28E agreements,” said Sen. Ron Wieck (R-Sioux City), co-chair of the Government Oversight Committee and floor manager of the bill. “We also have a strong provision to ensure that anybody who comes forward with concerns about fraud, waste and abuse will be protected.”

“The Oversight Committee’s investigation has shown us that we have an obvious weakness in our laws,” said Sen. Pat Ward (R-West Des Moines), a member of the Government Oversight Committee and sponsor of the legislation. “This bill is the right thing to do. It provides sunshine and transparency on organizations like CIETC. These changes will truly reform how state government operates so we can prevent another CIETC scandal from happening.”

The legislation includes the following provisions:

- Improves Accountability in Service Contracts – Requires contractors to submit annual financial reports to the state and meet specified ethical and professional standards regarding nepotism, conflicts of interest and whistleblower policies.

- Enhances Authority to State Auditor – Enhances auditor’s investigative authority, if alerted by a whistleblower to waste, fraud or abuse in state government. 

- Strengthens Whistleblower Protection Laws  – Creates a more streamlined process to ensure those who blow the whistle on fraud and abuse will be protected.  The Ombudsman’s office will be charged with investigating any potential wrongdoing and pass their findings to the Public Employees Relations Board to provide relief to the whistleblower.

- Increases Transparency in Intergovernmental Agencies – Requires service agencies formed by local governments under “28E” agreements to have open records and open meetings.

###