The Influential Role of the Office of the Legislative Auditor

Every year the Minnesota Legislative Auditor's Office is tasked with reviewing the performance and success of various state projects and programs. From studying methods used by the Dept. of Natural Resources in managing the state's deer population to evaluating the Minnesota Dept. of Transportation's process for selecting highway projects, the Legislative Auditor plays an influential role in setting and shaping state policy.

"Our goal for every one of our reports is that it will be accurate, objective, timely and useful," said Legislative Auditor James Nobles. Some of the reports are selected by a bipartisan, bicameral legislative panel, the Legislative Audit Commission. Those reports are then submitted to the commission and the appropriate legislative committees for review and legislative action. Other reports, such as the review of the executive branch operations, are required by law. "The executive branch receives a lot of recommendations from us to change, and they are almost always implemented," explained Nobles.

"Our recommendations to the legislature often are more controversial, more difficult...there sometimes are winners and losers in recommendations of a program or an activity of state government," Nobles said.