Clarify Powers of State Auditor.

"Clarify Powers of State Auditor." Clarify. Such a gentle word. Like you're just cleaning up some confusing language. Dotting i's, crossing t's.

The bill gives the State Auditor sweeping new access to the data and records of any private corporation that accepts any amount of state funding. It exempts the Auditor's office from the state's cybersecurity oversight, from normal IT procurement rules, and from most of the State Human Resources Act... meaning Auditor employees lose career status protections. Governor Stein vetoed it, saying the access provisions could undermine the state's ability to recruit businesses. He also flagged the cybersecurity exemption as putting personal data at risk.

The Auditor, Republican Dave Boliek (elected 2024), called the veto a threat to "accountability and transparency." The override passed 72-48 with one Democrat crossing over. Here's the context that matters: this bill was filed after Boliek won his race, and multiple outlets described it as part of a broader pattern of bolstering a newly elected Republican auditor's power. The "clarify" in the title suggests minor technical fixes. The bill creates new investigative authority, exempts the office from oversight, and strips employee protections.