Charter schools, insufficient public school funding and Proposition 305 were some of the topics in the first debate in the race for state superintendent of public instruction.

The auditor general earlier this month released a scathing report that described the Dept of Revenue as struggling to implement IT systems and tools meant to improve its operations. The AG blamed DOR’s “ineffective IT leadership processes” for much of the troubles.

If necessity is the mother of invention, a slumping economy fathered a state agency's need to implement electronic audits of property management companies amid growing concerns of fraud.

An unintended consequence of a veto last month means the state agency tasked with collecting taxes is on the verge of laying off more than half of its staff, barring a budget fix to allow access to all of the money lawmakers gave it earlier this year. Anthony Forschino, the agency's assistant director, said the layoffs would still allow the Department of Revenue to function, but in a bare-bones manner.