By Mike Tony, The Charleston Gazette
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As West Virginia leaders question whether they’ll have to return $465 million to the federal government amid their annual budgeting process, they’re also closing in on passing legislation to limit the independence of the state watchdog unit that flagged increased risk of wasting the funds in question.
Senate Bill 687 is a vote away from passing the House of Delegates after the Senate approved it in a 20-14 vote Feb. 19.
SB 687 would give the Senate president and House of Delegates speaker control over a state position charged with auditing the state budget and government spending units, reporting misapplication of state funds and making recommendations on their findings.
Under Senate Bill 687, the state legislative auditor holding that position would exercise those duties as directed by the Senate president and House speaker.
In November, the Performance Evaluation and Research Division, a section of the Legislative Auditor’s Office, published a report finding the Justice administration’s Department of Education lacked the capacity or structure to monitor local school districts’ use of federal COVID relief education funds, elevating the risk of fraud, waste and abuse of the funds.
The Performance Evaluation and Research Division, known as PERD, noted the federal Department of Education had encouraged the state to reevaluate its monitoring capacity regarding federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding through the American Rescue Plan Act, a COVID relief package signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2021.
