§ § 53Auditor general; appointment, qualifications, term, removal, post audits

Sec. 53.
     The legislature by a majority vote of the members elected to and serving in each house,
 shall appoint an auditor general, who shall be a certified public accountant licensed to practice
 in this state, to serve for a term of eight years. He shall be ineligible for appointment or
 election to any other public office in this state from which compensation is derived while
 serving as auditor general and for two years following the termination of his service. He may
 be removed for cause at any time by a two-thirds vote of the members elected to and serving
 in each house. The auditor general shall conduct post audits of financial transactions and
 accounts of the state and of all branches, departments, offices, boards, commissions, agencies,
 authorities and institutions of the state established by this constitution or by law, and
 performance post audits thereof.
     The auditor general upon direction by the legislature may employ independent accounting
 firms or legal counsel and may make investigations pertinent to the conduct of audits. He shall
 report annually to the legislature and to the governor and at such other times as he deems
 necessary or as required by the legislature. He shall be assigned no duties other than those
 specified in this section.
     Nothing in this section shall be construed in any way to infringe the responsibility and
 constitutional authority of the governing boards of the institutions of higher education to be
 solely responsible for the control and direction of all expenditures from the institutions' funds.
     The auditor general, his deputy and one other member of his staff shall be exempt from
 classified civil service. All other members of his staff shall have classified civil service status.