Hawaii’s only A in the State Integrity Investigation came for its auditing of state government.

Hawaii received an overall A, or 92 percent, grade for Internal Auditing. That placed the state 22nd. Tied for first place were Mississippi and Texas. At the bottom was Nevada.

Hawaii did so well in large part because of the independence and sweeping authority of the auditor. It got a 100-percent score for its law establishing the auditor position.

Overall, the State Integrity Investigation ranked Hawaii 10th after Civil Beat reporters researched 330 “Corruption Risk Indicators” across 14 categories of government. (Click here to learn more about the methodology used for the project.)

Bottom line: Although Hawaii got its highest score for its internal auditing of state government, nearly half the other states have even stronger protections.

Here’s the basis for the 100-percent grade that contributed to the overall 92 percent score for Internal Auditing. It’s your turn to evaluate whether Civil Beat got it right and to share what you think should be done to improve the situation. Share your comments at the bottom of this story.

Here’s the first question the State Integrity Investigation asked regarding Internal Auditing.

Is there an audit institution or equivalent agency covering the entire state’s public sector?

Overall score: 100%

Here are the criteria Civil Beat used to answer that question and what Civil Beat found.

1. In law, is there an audit institution, auditor general, or equivalent agency covering the entire state’s public sector.

Notes: The state auditor conducts audits of all state departments, agencies and offices. The auditor also conducts investigations requested by the state Legislature. The office also has the power to issue subpoenas under state law.

Sources:

State Constitution in Article VII, Section 10, Auditor. Visit (http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol01_Ch0001-0042F/05-Const/CONST_0007-0010.htm) for details.

Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 23 Auditor, Part I Office of Auditor Proper, §23-4 Duties. Visit (http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol01_Ch0001-0042F/HRS0023/HRS_0023-0004.htm) for details.

Score: 100%

Scoring criteria: These are the scoring criteria for this question.
Yes: A YES score is earned if there is a specific agency whose primary mandate is to audit and track the movement of money through the state government. This agency should be specifically charged with investigating and documenting the misuse of funds. A system of agencies located within each department is equivalent.
No: A NO score is earned if no such agency exists, or if that function is a secondary concern of a larger body, such as the executive.