Fraud, Car Tabs, and More

March 27, 2026

OLA Report Underscores OIG Bill Importance

Friends and neighbors,

Last week, the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) released a report showing that the Department of Human Services (DHS) neglected to properly handle fraud within Minnesota's Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) Medicaid programs. These EIDBI programs, which are intended to provide services to children with autism, saw costs explode from $1 million in 2017 to over $343 million by 2024. Despite this statistically impossible increase, DHS continued to distribute funds to fraudulent "providers." When pressed by the Fraud Committee, DHS officials have persistently claimed that they lacked the legal authority to discontinue payments, attempting to shift blame to Attorney General Ellison's office for not doing enough to prosecute the fraud. The recent OLA report discredited this claim and stated that DHS has always possessed the authority to discontinue payments to those suspected of fraud.

The unfortunate reality is that both are true: DHS officials routinely neglected to address blatantly fraudulent claims, while AG Ellison declined to prosecute cases out of fear that it would tarnish the image of the Walz Administration.

This systemic lack of willpower and accountability for protecting our taxpayer dollars is why it is so important that we pass the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) bill, which will establish an independent, apolitical, prosecutorial authority to go after fraudsters. I am pleased to inform you that the OIG bill is moving forward, and has advanced out of the State Government Committee, where it had been stalled for several weeks. It had a hearing in the Judiciary Committee, and was recently referred from there to the Ways and Means Committee. 

I will continue my fight to pass this critical legislation into law and ensure that your taxpayer dollars are being safeguarded by a nonpartisan entity. I look forward to continuing to update you as the bill progresses. 

Effort To Reduce Car Tab Fees Stalls

This week, a bill that I authored (HF3562) to lower your car tab fees back to what they were prior to the DFL Trifecta failed to advance through the Transportation Committee. In a party-line vote, my DFL counterparts unanimously rejected the bill, citing reservations about MnDOT funding.

Click HERE to watch my introduction of the bill.

In Wisconsin, a car owner will pay roughly $85 per year to register a $30,000 vehicle. In Minnesota, average fees for the exact same vehicle are now around $400. I even received a communication from a constituent who bought a Tesla Model Y, and their fees were over $1000! 

Wisconsin deals with the same harsh winters that we do, and their infrastructure is not falling apart. I do not buy into the argument that our infrastructure will fall apart by lowering car tab fees. Minnesota is in a budget surplus, and our state has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. 

After witnessing Rep Luger-Nikolai (D-Saint Paul) recently suggest that she "may introduce an amendment to quintuple" your car tab fees on top of the increases you have already been forced to pay, it is my hope that my colleagues across the aisle will reconsider their positions. Minnesotans deserve much-needed tax relief.

I Have Decided Not To Seek Re-election

As you may have heard, I have decided not to seek re-election this November. I will continue to serve our district until the swearing-in of the next legislature in January 2027.

It has been an honor to fight on your behalf at the Minnesota House to ensure transparency and accountability in our state government. Our efforts have successfully turned Minnesota's fraud epidemic into a national headline, and this spotlight has forced real change to occur. There is more work to be done, but I am proud to say that federal indictments are now underway, and legislation is progressing this session to ensure that such an industrialized theft of Minnesota taxpayer dollars can never happen again.

It is my belief that public service should be a contribution to society, not a career. In that spirit, I am stepping down to spend more time with my business and family, but I will still be actively helping from the "outside" in any way I can. 

Thank you for all of your support over the years. Your consistent engagement and input have allowed me to draft and pass legislation that will have a positive impact on our communities and Minnesota at large for years to come.

Please Contact Me

Please continue to reach out if I can be of any assistance to you. You can reach me by phone at 651-296-3018 or by email at rep.patti.anderson@house.mn.gov.

Have a great weekend! 

Patti

/RepPattiAnderson

2nd Floor Centennial Office Building
658 Cedar Street
Saint Paul, MN 55155
ph: 651.296.3018