EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — A special guest testified Wednesday in favor of legislation at the Rhode Island State House.

Massachusetts Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro delivered supporting testimony for Republican state Rep. George Nardone’s bill to create a similar office in Rhode Island.

“Since 2002, there has been a bipartisan call in Rhode Island to establish an Office of Inspector General, to root out waste, fraud and abuses in RI state government and offer recommended reform,” Nardone said.

Nardone also emphasized that this office would “serve as a guardian of public trust,” having the ability to investigate “any issue across all corners of government.”

GOP lawmakers have been pushing for the creation of this office for years. In the 2018 race for governor, former Cranston Mayor Allan Fung had this policy goal on his platform.

According to the Massachusetts inspector general’s website , that statewide office, created in 1981, was the first of its kind in the country.

R.I. House Minority Leader Michael Chippendale said the House Minority Caucus is grateful Shapiro is coming to testify on Nardone’s bill.

“We are grateful to General Shapiro and his colleagues at the Association of Inspector Generals for their input in helping us to create bi-partisan legislation to initiate an Office of Inspector here in Rhode Island,” Chippendale said.

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