Upholding The Interests of Southeastern Minnesota

March 6, 2026

Fraud Isn't Free Act

Friends and neighbors,

On top of driving forward the bipartisan Office of the Inspector General bill, which will be pivotal for establishing an apolitical prosecutorial institution to crack down on fraud, Minnesota House Republicans have recently introduced another important initiative: the Fraud Isn't Free Act. This act is essential for maintaining standards and incentives for the various agencies within our state government to guarantee that they are responsibly safeguarding public money.

As parents know all too well, if there are no consequences for bad behavior, then bad behavior will continue and get worse. At the moment, there are no meaningful consequences to the state agencies that misappropriate your tax dollars. This bill will change that with an incentive structure that state agencies must follow, or face reduced budgets. Any agency found failing to uphold anti-fraud standards set by the legislature will have its operating budget cut by 10% for the remainder of the biennium in which the infraction occurs. Additionally, the commissioner of that agency will have their salary reduced by 25%. As members of the House, we have spent months interviewing officers within agencies, such as the Department of Human Services, and are often met with an attitude of entitlement and indignation that we would dare question their administrative competence. I believe that this attitude will swiftly change once these commissioners realize that their pay will be affected.

Minnesota taxpayers have been bearing the financial burden of this theft, which these agencies have allowed to proliferate. It is only fair that agency administrators also feel ramifications from allowing fraud.

Office of the Legislative Auditor Bill

The bipartisan Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) bill will have a hearing next week. I’m on the Legislative Audit Commission, which holds hearings on the OLA audits. I, and others, have asked commissioners and administration officials questions about the failings that continue and have been increasing. The special insights from these hearings made me decide to codify auditor recommendations into law. I asked Senator Ann Rest (D-New Hope) and the auditor to work together with a revisor to put into law the changes and procedures needed to prevent misuse and fraud. Even with the difficulties of a tied House, I believe this bill has a great chance of passing, as it provides common-sense solutions that will benefit all Minnesotans.

Future Farmers of America Visit State Capitol

This week, I had a wonderful meeting with young members of Future Farmers of America from our district. Many in our community have grown up working on family farms that have been passed down through generations, and farming is a bedrock in our area. I got to learn more about FFA programs and what they mean to these young leaders. I will be using my voice at the State Legislature to ensure that our youth continue to receive top-notch agricultural training, so that our area can continue to thrive for generations to come.

Great Meeting With You

I also had the opportunity to meet with several other constituent groups to discuss local priorities, including:

• Supervisors and clerks from Canisteo, Milton, and Wasioja townships
• The Minnesota Farmers Union
• The Minnesota Academy of Physician Associates
• Region 2 school superintendents
• Social workers
• Respiratory care advocates
• The Association of Minnesota Counties
• The Minnesota Medical Association
• The American Physical Therapy Association
• Several one-on-one meetings with individual constituents

I would like to thank everyone who came to visit me at the State Capitol this week, as your input is what helps me to put together and advocate for legislation to improve our southeastern Minnesota communities and the state at large.

If you ever wish to schedule a meeting with me, please contact me via the information below. Advocating on your behalf is a privilege, and every meeting is an example of the type of transparency that makes our American system the greatest in the world.

Please Stay in Touch 

Please continue to stay in touch to share your thoughts or concerns. My phone number is 651-296-9236 or you can email me at rep.duane.quam@house.mn.

Have a great weekend!

Duane

/RepDuaneQuam

2nd Floor Centennial Office Building
658 Cedar Street
Saint Paul, MN 55155
ph: 651.296.9236