Coalition demands action on inspector general bill

For several years – and for unspoken reasons regarding creating an Office of Inspector General – the Delaware General Assembly has not acted on well-supported, co-sponsored bills that were introduced, voted out of committee and ready to be called to the floor of the House or the Senate for a vote. The burning question – why not? – demands an answer.

Through Delaware news media, in programs with noted inspector general experts as speakers and panelists, and in presentations to various groups around the state, numerous organizations and individuals have worked to make a much-needed OIG possible in Delaware. 

An entirely independent, nonpartisan OIG would be empowered to investigate instances of fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement that need to be addressed but often are not because they don’t always come to the attention of or under the purview of the offices of the attorney general or state auditor. Establishing an OIG would help state agencies be more efficient and effective. 

In a recent article, Sen. Brian Pettyjohn said, “We must do all we can to ensure public officials are held to the high standard that all Delawareans expect. Creating the Office of the Inspector General would do just that. Having an official agency free from electoral politics to help keep the government in check is necessary and long overdue.”

After the 2022 OIG bill was released by the House Administration Committee, and despite broad bipartisan support among House and Senate leaders and members, the leadership in the House did not disclose why the bill never was called to the floor for a vote. Delaware citizens and good-government organizations like the Delaware Coalition for Open Government, the Delaware League of Women Voters and 15 other such groups that supported the bill remain in the dark as to why not. Questions like “What are you afraid of?” and “What are they hiding?” and “Who are they protecting?” have been quietly circulating up and down the state for several years. They are now coming up more and more, and being asked openly.

Last year, after the Senate Executive Committee voted to let the 2024 OIG bill move ahead, the Senate Finance Committee let the legislation languish, preventing it from coming up in the Senate as a whole for consideration and a vote. Now, with the end of the 2025 legislative year approaching and this year’s OIG bill (Senate Bill 4) in the spotlight, it is unclear yet again whether Finance Committee Chair Sen. Trey Paradee is going to advance an OIG bill for a vote. 

Sen. Paradee, stop stalling. Bring it to a vote of the committee, where it likely will pass, so the entire Senate then can vote on it! Stop hiding behind the false argument that this is a costly office; not only is it not a costly office to create and operate, it likely will more than pay for itself once fully operational, just like other IG offices around the country.  

And stop using disproven arguments about OIG duplication of effort in the attorney general’s and state auditor’s offices. If the offices of the AG and the SA are sufficient, why does the public continue to read about more failures of Delaware governmental programs to catch waste, fraud and abuse? And why are our legislators not acting if they see no effort to address these problems, especially given the broad support of good-government groups like DelCOG, and especially given sponsorship among House members, the Senate leadership and our governor, who says if the OIG bill passes, he will sign it into law? 

Members of the General Assembly: If you really are concerned about these issues, hold a full House hearing where the public can counter unfounded arguments!  You work for the people. Listen to our voices! 

Citizens of Delaware: Because the First State faces steep federal funding cuts that will likely trigger deep structural budget reductions for years to come, it is imperative that the Office of Inspector General be approved this year.

The General Assembly must take substantive steps to offset budget reductions. Creating an independent, nonpartisan OIG is an essential tool in greater efficiency and in reducing waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement in government, as well as in recovering lost or stolen state assets. In short, the state cannot afford not to create the office now.

Finally, in the last two months of this legislative year, Delaware residents and organizations that care about good, well-run, cost-effective government will call and email our state senators and representatives to let them know we demand passage of SB 4 to create the Office of Inspector General. For residents who don’t know who their legislators are, they can go to Find My Legislator at https://legis.delaware.gov/FindMyLegislator to find their legislators’ names and email addresses.