- California bill would reform ‘failing’ system serving adults and kids with disabilities (Sacramento Bee, 2/24/2023)
- California’s 1977 law requires state to provide services to individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities, but recent reports, audits, and public hearings have revealed “racial disparities, inadequate oversight and limited accountability.”
- As opioid death keep rising, report urges lawmakers to develop new approaches (Route-Fifty, 3/20/2023)
- A new 700-page, nonpartisan RAND report suggests nine action points for lawmakers to address the opioid crisis, including addressing stigma, reducing the fatality of overdoses, viewing opioids as an “ecosystem,” and increasing access to effective treatment.
- California lawmakers want to know why billions in spending isn’t reducing homelessness (CalMatters, 4/17/2023)
- A bipartisan group of California legislators is calling for a large-scale audit of the state’s homelessness spending to investigate why the crisis continues to worsen despite significant investments. The state has allocated $20.6 billion toward housing and homelessness since 2018-19, yet the number of unhoused people has increased by nearly a third during that time. The audit, approved unanimously in the legislative audit committee, will analyze multiple state homelessness programs, focusing on questions of cost-effectiveness and spending accountability in San Jose and another city yet to be determined.
- California is not collecting enough data about LGBTQ+ health, audit finds (capradio, 4/28/2023)
- A recent audit in California reveals that the state is missing opportunities to collect and utilize data on LGBTQ+ health. Only a small number of forms distributed by the California Department of Public Health include questions about sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). Inconsistent reporting and collection hinder the department’s ability to address health disparities among the LGBTQ+ population, limiting the effectiveness of health interventions and efforts to humanize patients.
- Report: CSU system failed to investigate most sexual harassment reports or track offenders, auditor finds (The Press Democrat, 7/14/2023)
- A confidential draft report by the California state auditor’s office reveals numerous problems and inconsistencies in sexual harassment investigations across California State University (CSU) campuses. The report criticizes the chancellor’s office for not providing campuses with detailed guidelines to address allegations against employees. The audit, approved last year by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, found that a majority of sexual harassment reports against CSU employees were never formally investigated, with shoddy data collection preventing tracking of repeat offenders.
- Auditor faults California regulators for failing to monitor utility rates and hikes (Courthouse News Service, 8/29/2023)
- California’s state auditor has criticized the California Public Utilities Commission and the Public Advocates Office for inadequate monitoring of utility companies and lack of transparency in explaining unprecedented utility rate hikes. The audit reveals that California has some of the highest utility rates, with recent electricity and natural gas rate increases attributed to factors like wildfire mitigation, solar power adoption, geopolitical events, and higher transmission costs. The auditor calls for improved processes to verify utility costs, increased transparency in rate change authorizations, and better oversight to ensure that utilities complete projects as reported in cost recovery applications.
- Auditor ‘concerned’ with CA regulators’ monitoring of energy rate hikes (Fox 5 San Diego, 9/1/2023)
- An audit of California’s state oversight of rate increases at San Diego Gas & Electric and three other investor-owned utility companies has raised concerns about the approval process for changes to customers’ bills. The audit discovered gaps in monitoring of utility costs, potentially leading to unnecessary rate increases. The state regulators were found lacking in safeguards to ensure that the utilities’ projected costs were not overstated, thereby resulting in undue changes, and there was no mechanism to check that utilities completed projects for which rates were raised.
- LAO recommends more spending transparency for county offices of education (EDSource, 3/14/2024)
- The Legislative Analyst’s Office is recommending increased spending transparency for county offices of education, suggesting annual reports summarizing activities and spending breakdowns to enhance accountability. With a broad range of responsibilities, county offices oversee various programs, including court schools and academic assistance for struggling student groups. Recommendations include establishing outcome metrics for county-run schools and comprehensive expenditure reports for improved public visibility and oversight.
- California audit finds little oversight in state program to fund roadway projects (Fox5 San Diego, 4/4/2024)
- The California State Auditor’s report highlighted a lack of oversight in the state program funding roadway projects, revealing issues with ensuring cities and counties use funds appropriately. The audit focused on the “Local Streets and Roads Program,” established by Senate Bill 1, which raised taxes for transportation projects due to significant funding shortfalls. The audit found that the State Controller did not enforce compliance with spending requirements, potentially allowing localities to neglect their responsibility for road maintenance.
- California auditor probes favoritism, corruption in marijuana permitting (Green Market Report, 4/8/2024)
- The California state auditor’s report highlighted deficiencies in marijuana permitting processes in six localities, pointing out issues of favoritism and corruption. The analysis focused on cities like Fresno, Sacramento, San Diego, and counties such as Monterey and Santa Barbara. Recommendations included implementing blind scoring for permit applications, establishing appeals processes, requiring impartiality statements, and enhancing background check systems to improve fairness and transparency in future cannabis permitting.
- California fails to track its homelessness spending or results, a new audit says (CalMatters, 4/9/2024)
- A recent audit in California revealed a lack of tracking and transparency in homelessness spending and outcomes, raising concerns about program effectiveness. Key programs lack sufficient data for assessment, highlighting a significant data gap in understanding the impact of state initiatives. The audit calls for improved transparency and accountability in state spending to address the homelessness crisis.
- Why are California workers waiting so long on wage theft claims? A new audit has answers (CalMatters, 5/30/2024)
- A significant audit reveals that the California Labor Commissioner’s Office, tasked with enforcing labor laws and combating wage theft, has been underperforming, with auditors finding that it failed to collect millions of dollars in penalties and unpaid wages owed to workers, and that its operations are hampered by outdated technology and insufficient staffing.
- Assemblymember Hart to Lead Oversight Hearing on Wage Theft (edhat, 6/18/2024)
- The Joint Legislative Audit Committee will hold an oversight hearing on wage theft, focusing on the state’s efforts to combat the issue and protect workers’ rights. The hearing aims to examine the effectiveness of the Labor Commissioner’s Office in enforcing wage laws and to discuss potential improvements in the state’s approach to wage theft. It is part of a broader effort to ensure that workers receive fair compensation and to hold employers accountable for labor violations.
- UCSC reported inaccurate crime statistics, state auditor’s report finds (Lookout Santa Cruz, 8/2/2024)
- The California State Auditor’s office reviewed six higher education institutions, including UC Santa Cruz, for compliance with federal crime reporting requirements under the Clery Act. It found that UCSC underreported 33 crimes, including serious offenses like domestic battery and rape, in its 2022 statistics to the U.S. Department of Education. The audit revealed that UCSC and four other universities had inaccurate crime statistics due to a lack of written procedures for accurate reporting. UCSC attributed the errors to turnover in the Clery coordinator position and the absence of guidance for an interim coordinator. The State Auditor recommended periodic reviews of all institutions subject to the Clery Act and online publication of results. UCSC has acknowledged the findings and is working to improve transparency and compliance with the Clery Act.
- Audit examines California’s Sexually Violent Predator Conditional Release Program (KPBS, 10/16/2024)
- An audit of California’s Sexually Violent Predator Conditional Release Program, requested by the Senate minority leader, found rising costs, limited housing options, and community opposition. Participants in the program had a significantly lower reoffense rate (4%) compared to nonparticipants (19%). The report recommended state-owned transitional housing to address placement delays, though concerns over community resistance and rising costs persist. The audit also suggested that the Department of State Hospitals consider using multiple vendors for different program services.
