State Oversight Resources
We are a knowledge hub and resource center for state legislatures. Browse our state legislative oversight directories, articles, and Levin Center testimony here.
Directories
State Legislative Session Calendars — 50-state list compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
- The Book of the States — key data on 50 states compiled annually by the Council of State Governments (CSG)
- Online directory for 50 state auditors, comptrollers & treasurers – compiled by the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT)
- Contracts with US State Governments — list of database links compiled by Society for Institutional & Organizational Economics.
- State reports analyzing tax expenditures — 50-state list compiled by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP)
Articles and Reports
- 2023: White Paper: Unpacking State Legislative Vetoes by Derek Clinger and Professor Miriam Seifter
- 2023: The exchange of letters between U.S. House Committee and Manhattan DA on access to information about a local grand jury examining state law violations.
- 2021: Citizen’s Research Council of Michigan’s recent oversight report entitled “Imagining What Should Be: Robust Legislative Oversight in Michigan“
- 2021: Federal Dollars, States’ Recoveries: How Poorly Most States are Disclosing CARES Act Spending — 50-state report by nonprofit Good Jobs First on states’ online websites disclosing spending
- 2021 & ongoing: State and local government audit reports of pandemic-related programs and spending — compiled by the U.S. Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC)
- Oct 2021: The Importance of Oversight and Agency Capacity in Enhancing Performance in Public Service Delivery by Cody A. Drolc and Lael R. Keiser, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory
- April 2021: Legislative Oversight of State Government Contracts (pdf) – Wayne State University Center for Urban Studies, report commissioned by the Levin Center
- Oct 2020: State Legislative Oversight of Emergency Contracts Related to COVID-19: Three Case Studies – Report issued by the Levin Center
- June 2020: We don’t review tax exemptions in Idaho. Could models in neighboring states work here? – Idaho Capital Sun
- 2020: Survey of State Procurement Practices (pdf) by the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO)
- 2019: Checks and Balances in Action: Legislative Oversight across the States (pdf) – Wayne State University Center for Urban Studies, report commissioned by the Levin Center
- Separation of Powers–Legislative Oversight (undated) – materials compiled by the National Conference of State Legislators
- 2019: Whistleblowing Policies in American States: A Nationwide Analysis (pdf) by Jonathan P. West and James S. Bowman
- 2017: California State Assembly Legislative Oversight Handbook (pdf) by Anthony Rendon, Speaker of the Assembly, and Ken Cooley, Chair, Assembly Committee on Rules
- 2005: New York State Assembly Guide to Legislative Oversight (pdf) by James F. Brennan, Chair, New York State Assembly Standing Committee On Oversight, Analysis and Investigation
Testimony
- September 2023: Testimony before the Michigan State Senate Oversight Committee about the avenues and oversight tools available to state legislators, and how to determine an oversight agenda and plan.
- May 2023: Testimony before the Michigan House Ethics and Oversight Committee on legislative oversight resources available at the Levin Center, phases of an investigation, and recommended best practices.
- January 2022: Testimony before the Michigan State Senate Oversight Committee about the Citizen’s Research Council of Michigan’s recent oversight report entitled “Imagining What Should Be: Robust Legislative Oversight in Michigan“
- October 2021: Testimony before the Nebraska unicameral State Legislature about the state’s capacity for oversight including recommendations for improvement.
- September 2021: Testimony before the Michigan State Senate Oversight Committee about the state’s capacity for oversight of government contracts.
- July 2021: Testimony before Pennsylvania House on Emergency Procurements (pdf) – Levin Center on best practices by state legislatures conducting contract oversight
- Jan 2020: Levin Center Testimony before the Michigan Senate Oversight Committee
Events, Webinars, Videos
- November 2022: Audit Recommendations for a Legislative Audience (online webinar co-sponsored by the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers)
- March 2022: Pandemic Response and Oversight: Data Transparency, Finding Facts, Lessons Learned (online webinar with the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee)
- October 2021: Asking Better Oversight Hearing Questions (online webinar)
- July 2021: The Delicate Balance of Legislative Oversight (National Council of Insurance Legislators panel discussion)
- May 2021: State Legislatures and the Pandemic: Conducting Oversight on Emergency Government Contracts (panel discussion)
- April 2021: Corrections and Re-Entry: Legislative and Community Efforts for a Successful Transition after Prison (panel discussion)
- November 2020: Strengthening the Role of Legislative Oversight (CSG West panel discussion)
- October 2019: Checks and Balances in Action: Best Practices for State Oversight Webinar
SOA Monthly Content
- Oversight Overview is a video series that explores how state legislatures across the nation are performing oversight of a particular issue, such as Medicare, corrections, and child welfare.
FAST (Federal and State Tutorials) Classes are short podcasts with experts that provide brief introductions to new oversight tools, concepts, or topics. This quick listen is full of tips to get your oversight investigation off the ground! Available in the podcast feed of the Levin Center’s Oversight Matters on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
State Oversight Matters, the State Oversight Academy’s blog, offers expert advice on conducting oversight investigations in your state legislature, oversight news from statehouses across the country, and other important topics in the field.
Example Bill Language
- Michigan Senate Joint Resolution (2022): Proposed an amendment to the state constitution that would create a permanent, bicameral, bipartisan, joint oversight committee in the Legislature.
- Nebraska Legislative Resolution 226 (2021): Established an interim study to examine how the Legislature holds state agencies accountable in the implementation of laws through oversight, and if oversight processes needed to be improved.
