It was a surprise when the Governor randomly vetoed 27 bills on the last day of the regular session (legislature overrode those vetoes). Not a surprise, however, are sectional vetoes of a budget. Many stakeholders have already sent the Governor letters asking for various budget vetoes including several relating to the ongoing raid of the voter-approved performance audit funds. As reported by the Everett Herald: 

Another provision Inslee is getting pressed to veto is a transfer of $10 million from the State Auditor’s Office to the Department of Revenue. The money would come out of the Performance Audit of Governments account.

Deputy State Auditor Jan Jutte said the transfer coupled with a sweep of $12.6 million from the same account in 2015 would result in layoffs and stoppage of work on some current audits.

“I believe this is a short-sighted approach that, rather than save the state money, will cost our state the important solutions that performance audits can offer,” she wrote in a March 30 letter.

The Washington Finance Officers Association, the city of Camas, and the Municipal Research and Services Center sent letters supporting a veto. So, too, did state Sen. Mark Miloscia, R-Federal Way, who is running to be Washington’s next state auditor.

Here are the performance audit veto request letters: 

• State Auditor's Office
• Sen. Mark Miloscia
• Municipal Research and Services Center
• Washington Finance Officers Association
• City of Camas 

There is some question whether the way the legislature raided the performance audit funds left the Governor a way to veto the action. Case law concerning appropriation vetoes appears though to provide the Governor the needed authority. The reality of the situation is that if the Governor were to veto the performance audit fund raid, someone would need to file a lawsuit to challenge the action. While possible, would lawmakers really sue the Governor to prevent the restoration of voter-approved performance audits? 

Along with the formal veto request letters, several editorial boards have also called for the Governor to protect the performance audit funds: 

• Seattle Times: State watchdog, the Auditor’s Office, needs to be fed
• Crosscut: Inslee to allow severe layoffs for state spending watchdogs?
• Crosscut: Lawmakers agree: Let's get rid of the watchdogs!
• Olympian: We hope Inslee can find a way to preserve [audit] funding
• Spokesman Review: Cutting funds for state auditor’s office is punitive, counterproductive

Hopefully history will repeat itself and as occurred in 2009 with Governor Gregoire's performance audit raid veto, Governor Inslee will do the same. 

Additional Information
Fate of performance audits now rests on Governor's veto pen