California State Auditor Elaine Howle says prison realignment contributed to overcrowded jails in Fresno and Los Angeles, but criticized the counties for inadequate efforts to manage their inmate populations. Her findings are included in a newly released audit. In 2011, Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 109, which shifted to counties the...
‘High Risk’ of Waste, Fraud in California COVID Spending, Auditor Warns.
SACRAMENTO — California is getting so much money from the federal government because of the coronavirus — more than $71 billion — that the state's auditor on Tuesday warned Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration it is at high risk of waste, fraud and abuse. In a letter to Newsom and legislative...
Mobile Home Inspections Need Improvement, Auditor Finds
The state agency in charge of inspecting mobile home parks isn't doing an adequate job, according to a state audit released Thursday. Over the last decade, the Department of Housing and Community Development has not conducted inspections at more than half of the 3,640 parks under its watch, nor has...
Audit: California Nursing Board Faked Docs on Investigations
SACRAMENTO — The California board that regulates the nursing industry falsified its records to make it appear it was properly investigating allegations made against the state’s nurses, including serious complaints such as patient harm that can lead to nurses losing their licenses. That was revealed in a scathing new report...
California Seeks More People of Color to Draw Political Maps
SACRAMENTO — California on Monday gave more time to apply to an independent commission that will redraw boundaries for most state and federal elections, an effort to get more people of color involved and avoid the political gerrymandering that has caused problems elsewhere. Nearly 14,000 people have applied for the...
State Auditor Nabs Fresno State Groundskeepers for $111,000
You'd think by now that California state employees who sleep on the job, leave their posts early or buy unauthorized stuff would realize that State Auditor Elaine M. Howle and her staff are watching. But state employees keep thinking they can fleece taxpayers. And they keep getting caught. Howle issued...
Dan Walters Calls for More Rigorous High-Speed Rail Audit
In his Feb. 1 column, CALmatters columnist Dan Walters points out that the audit of California's over-budget, behind-schedule high-speed rail project commissioned by state lawmakers this week is limited in its scope. Walters opines that a top-to-bottom examination by state Auditor Elaine Howle of the estimated $70 billion project would...
Dan Walters Calls for More Rigorous High-Speed Rail Audit
In his Feb. 1 column, CALmatters columnist Dan Walters points out that the audit of California's over-budget, behind-schedule high-speed rail project commissioned by state lawmakers this week is limited in its scope. Walters opines that a top-to-bottom examination by state Auditor Elaine Howle of the estimated $70 billion project would...