DaytonDailyNews.com

COLUMBUS — House Speaker Jon Husted, R-Kettering, and Gov. Ted Strickland want to strengthen independent oversight of wrongdoing in state government.

On Friday, May 23, however, they advocated different approaches to get there in the wake of the sexual harassment scandal that drove Attorney General Marc Dann from office.

Husted unveiled legislation to expand Inspector General Tom Charles' authority to include investigating wrongdoing involving the attorney general, auditor, secretary of state and treasurer.

Under House Bill 576, Charles' expanded authority would continue until his term expires in 2011 and after that the chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court would appoint the inspector general, with the advice and consent of the state Senate.

Under current law, the governor appoints the inspector general.

Charles' authority now covers the governor, his staff and state agencies under the governor's control. Strickland and the legislature gave Charles temporary authority to investigate the current scandal in the attorney general's office but that authority expires when the investigation ends.

"If you know about wrongdoing in the attorney general's office, who do you call?" Husted asked. "There's no number right now."

Keith Dailey, Strickland's spokesman, said the governor believes having the chief justice from the judicial branch of government appoint a watchdog for statewide, executive officeholders raises separation of powers concerns.

"He'd no more support this proposal than support giving the governor the authority to appoint an inspector general to investigate the legislature," said Dailey.

Strickland would support a separate inspector general or similar independent authority for each part of state government, including the Supreme Court, said Dailey.

The Legislative Inspector General now implements legislators' compliance with ethics and lobbying laws.

Husted said he believes one inspector general for the executive offices would be sufficient but is willing to listen to other ideas.

"We're willing to listen to other people's opinions but what we're not willing to do is let the situation stand where there's nobody to do an investigation if there's wrongdoing in these offices," said Husted.

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