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Tim Pugmire
St. Paul, Minn.

State Auditor Otto blasts GOP plan to cut her budget

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DFL State Auditor Rebecca Otto is blasting a House Republican plan to slash her budget and take away some of her current oversight of local government.

Otto appeared before the State Government Finance Committee Tuesday to testify against the panel's omnibus budget bill.

The GOP-backed plan would reduce the auditor's operating budget for the next two years by 12 percent. It also allows counties to opt out of the financial audits her office now performs.

Otto told legislators the cuts would hurt her ability to monitor about $20 billion spent by local government each year.

"We need to keep the staff we have to continue the critical work that the public expects and demands," Otto said. "The 12 percent cut will mean we will no longer conduct special investigations into allegations of theft of local government funds, to the tune of $20 billion.

Rep. Morrie Lanning, R-Moorhead, the committee's chairman, cautioned Otto against painting too dire a picture. Her office would still have a $16 million budget.