Why PA auditions are so important

The Pennsylvania Senate has approved a proposal that would require auditions of state employees to be conducted onsite, in a facility that could cost more than $5 million.

The bill, which passed in a 26-16 vote Thursday, was part of a broader push to create a centralized state workforce and is the latest in a series of moves to crack down on the state’s workforce crisis.

The legislation, which is sponsored by Republican Sen. Mike Folmer, would create a new Office of the State Auditor to oversee auditing and other oversight of the state workforce.

Folmer said the office would be tasked with investigating any allegations of malfeasance or waste by state employees and the public.

The Senate, led by Democrats, passed the measure with a wide margin and a simple majority, with all but one Republican voting against it.

The House passed the bill by a vote of 53-37 last month, and the Senate has until March 5 to take up the bill.

A bill is expected to be introduced in the Assembly soon, but it has not been finalized.

The Senate bill would require the auditor to be located in Philadelphia, and it would require that auditors have a salary of at least $125,000 and be certified by a state-approved ethics commission.

The Auditor’s Office has the power to investigate whether a state employee has violated a state law, but the state Senate bill requires the auditors to be based in the state.

The new auditor would have oversight over the state budget, which must be approved by the governor.

The auditor would also be tasked to review the state Department of Public Health’s data collection and reporting, which includes how much money the state spends on health care and how much it collects in taxes.

The proposal would also require auditors and other employees to submit reports on their compensation and travel costs.

The proposed bill is one of several bills that lawmakers are considering to crack up Pennsylvania’s workforce, which has ballooned to nearly 9,000 full-time state employees since the state became a separate state in 1970.