At the May 21, 2026, House Committee on Finance hearing, former State Representative John Loughlin (R District 71 - Tiverton, Little Compton, Portsmouth) testified on House Bill 8562, which aims to establish a Rhode Island Office of Inspector General. Although Loughlin expressed strong support for the bill's core mission to root out waste, fraud, and abuse, he raised a critical concern regarding its current scope.
Loughlin points out that the draft relies on broad "separation of powers" language to completely shield the legislative branch—including the General Assembly's $63 million operational budget, staff benefits, and grants—from any meaningful oversight by the proposed Inspector General. He argues that creating an independent watchdog while fully exempting the branch that controls the state's purse strings undermines the primary goal of restoring public trust.
To resolve this issue, Loughlin urges the committee to amend the legislation by adopting the balanced language found in the Delaware Inspector General statute (Title 29, Chapter 90E). This model permits the Inspector General to investigate the legislature's routine administrative operations, employment practices, and proc
House Bill No. 8562 BY Blazejewski, Kazarian, Hull, Caldwell, Shanley, Lima, Cotter, Spears, Azzinaro, Nardone ENTITLED, AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL (Establishes the office of inspector general to investigate the management and operation of agencies in an effort to prevent and deter fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement in the expenditure of public funds.) {LC6482/1} » http://webserver.rilegislature.gov/BillText/BillText26/HouseText26/H8562.pdf
The speaker testifies before the House Finance Committee in support of creating an Inspector General for Rhode Island to combat waste, fraud, and abuse. While supporting the office, the speaker strongly opposes a provision that exempts the legislative branch from oversight, arguing that the General Assembly should be subject to the same transparency as the executive branch and municipalities.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, distinguished members of House Finance Committee.
Just a quick side note, as we approach the solemn Memorial Day weekend, I pause to remember
and honor the courageous men and women who gave their last full measure of devotion
in defense of our nation and the freedoms we cherish. Their sacrifice reminds us why transparent,
accountable government matters so deeply. And thank you for the opportunity to testify here
before you today. I'm here to express my support for the creation of an Inspector General for the
State of Rhode Island after more than two decades and four days of discussion. This legislation
represents a long overdue step toward rooting out waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement of
taxpayer dollars. However, I must respectfully raise one serious concern. The current draft
appears to rely on the broad separation of powers language in the Rhode Island Constitution to
exclude the entire legislative branch, including the General Assembly's management of its own
budget, staff, benefits, travel, consultants, and grants from any meaningful oversight by the new
Inspector General. And while I respect the constitutional principle of separation of
powers as first championed by my colleague, Representative Nicholas Gorham, many years ago,
using it here looks like the General Assembly is shielding itself from the very scrutiny it's now
demanding the executive branch and municipalities. Rhode Islanders are rightly asking, if the
Inspector General is good enough for everyone else, why not for the legislature's own spending?
I would like to ask the committee today about a story which appeared in Go Local Prov,
which highlights redundant language already present in the Auditor General statute
and mirrors the proposed Inspector General. And the Inspector General mandate to detect fraud,
waste, and abuse. Now, given this apparent overlap, how does the committee envision the new
office delivering truly independent and additional value, particularly when the legislative branch
remains entirely exempt from its review? I strongly urge the committee to strengthen this bill by
adopting the precise balanced language used in the Delaware Inspector General statute, Title 29,
Chapter 90E. Delaware defines state agency to include the General Assembly, but just in regard
to the General Assembly's management of government resources and routine administrative operations,
such as requirements related to employment practices and procurement. At the same time,
it explicitly excludes the General Assembly in regard to the General Assembly's constitutional
functions and those authorized by Delaware's constitution. The language strikes the right
constitutional balance, in my view. Now, when I first served in this House, the legislative
branch budget was about $37 million. Today, it's grown to $63 million. That nearly doubling of
spending deserves the same transparency and oversight we rightly demand everywhere else
in state government. That's nearly 5% of the state's budget and will forever live in a black
hole of secrecy shielded from the Inspector General. Mr. Chairman and members of the
committee, restoring public trust in Rhode Island government is not just a policy goal, it's a moral
imperative. For too many years, cynicism and skepticism have replaced confidence in our
institutions. If we create, or if you create, an Inspector General but then carve out an exemption
for the very branch that writes the laws and controls the purse strings,
we've missed a historic opportunity, in my view. It would be truly tragic to our citizens if the
legislative budget remained hidden from sunlight of the independent review while every other corner
of government is held to account. Let us send a clear message to every Rhode Islander. No one is
above the law, no branch is exempt from scrutiny, and every tax dollar will be watched with equal
vigilance. Passing this bill with the Delaware model would include, would show our state real
reform has arrived. I thank you very much for your time and consideration.
