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SS 1 for SB 21 will create a Delaware Office of the Inspector General

Senate Substitute for Senate Bill 21 would create a Delaware Office of the Inspector General with the authority to investigate state agencies and state-funded entities for fraud, waste, mismanagement, and corruption. Introduced by Sen. Laura Sturgeon in March, the bill is currently awaiting a hearing in the Senate Finance Committee.

Your action today can make a BIG difference!

The Senate Finance Committee will determine whether to fund the new Delaware Office of the Inspector General (OIG). We need to let the committee members know that a Delaware OIG is a good investment that will protect the use of taxpayer money. The OIG would be an independent, nonpartisan office with oversight over all state agencies and officials.

The state estimates that the OIG will cost around $1.5 million each year, which represents around 0.025% of the state’s $6 billion budget for FY 2025. There are 35 states with an OIG at the state or local level, and these offices have recovered billions of dollars, far exceeding the cost to fund them. The OIG is a good investment that will bring back more taxpayer money by recovering misspent funds and preventing waste and fraud.

In addition, the OIG would provide a critical mechanism to ensure public trust in how our government operates. The public having confidence on how its government and public officials is worth far more than the cost to run this small, independent office.

Please call or email the members of the Senate Finance Committee!

The Senate Finance Committee has six members, including Sen. Laura Sturgeon, who is the lead sponsor of SS 1 for SB 21. We encourage you to reach out to each member of the committee to let them know that you support this bill and you want them to support funding the OIG.

Please also ask the chair of the committee, Sen. Trey Paradee, to circulate this bill for signatures so that it can receive a vote by the full Senate. It is vitally important that this is done right away to ensure the bill is passed this year.

Senate Finance Committee Members

Trey Paradee, Chair, 302-744-4162, Trey.Paradee@delaware.gov
Darius Brown, 302-744-4286, Darius.Brown@delaware.gov
Stephanie Hansen, 302-744-4138, Stephanie.Hansen@delaware.gov
Laura Sturgeon, 302-744-4135, Laura.Sturgeon@delaware.gov
Eric Buckson, 302-744-4169, Eric.Buckson@delaware.gov
Dave Lawson, 302-744-4237, Dave.Lawson@delaware.gov

What Else Can I Do?

Contact your State Senator and State Representative!

After the Senate Finance Committee approves SS 1 for SB 21, the bill will be sent to the Senate floor to be voted on by all the Senators. It will then be sent to committees in the House of Representatives before receiving a floor vote in that chamber.

We want to let the General Assembly know how much public support is behind the creation of an independent, nonpartisan Delaware OIG!

Delaware has long struggled with having an open and transparent government that is accountable to residents and taxpayers. In 2015, the Center for Public Integrity ranked Delaware as the 48th worst state for its systems to deter corruption. The time for change is now!

Please contact your State Senator and State Representative and ask them to support SS 1 for SB 21 when it is voted on.

Your voice is vitally important to ensuring that our legislators know where the public stands on this issue. Let your Senator and Representative know that you are their constituent and that this issue matters to you.

Find who represents you in the Delaware General Assembly here.

I want to do more!

Don't worry, there are more steps you can take!

Want to sign the petition to create a Delaware OIG? Do you work with an organization that supports creating an OIG? We have you covered!

We encourage all members of the public to sign our petition to the General Assembly members and Governor Carney for them to pass and sign into law SS 1 for SB 21. Organizations and companies can also sign onto our organizational support letter so that we can show how important this bill is to all communities in Delaware.

What Else?

Stay on top of the latest updates for the OIG bill by following DelCOG on Facebook and joining the DelCOG mailing list. We will be sending out more information and action alerts that you won’t want to miss!