LEGISLATION HIGHLIGHTSTAX RELIEF APPROVED Minnesotans are feeling the strain of higher taxes and rising costs, and much of that pressure stems from decisions made two years ago by the all Democrat-led state government in the House, Senate, and governor’s office. That’s why I was pleased all sides came together to support $400 million in tax relief, including $125 million in property tax cuts and $250 million in car tab fee reductions. Two disappointments – that we weren’t able to do more, and that this is one-time relief. COUNTY TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES Earlier this session, I talked about how counties are using 1980’s technology when it comes to utilizing human services programs. This has slowed down employees, increased administrative costs, and left the system vulnerable to waste and fraud. I promised to go to bat for our counties to make these needed technology upgrades, and am pleased the legislature agreed to a solution. Legislation passed on Sunday invests in modernizing these systems so counties can better serve residents while improving accountability for taxpayers. Updating this technology will streamline operations, strengthen security safeguards, improve eligibility verification, and help ensure new work requirements are implemented effectively. This will finally allow counties to utilize 21st century human services systems. FRAUD PREVENTION The highlight of our fraud prevention package this year is the creation of an independent Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The office will investigate state agencies, grant recipients, and contractors suspected of fraud or criminal misuse of public funds. In addition, newly approved welfare reforms will require able-bodied adults receiving Medicaid benefits to work, participate in job training, or pursue education to maintain eligibility. ELECTION INTEGRITY This week, I took part in two election integrity events with the Minnesota Voters Alliance and Judicial Watch - an election watchdog out of Washington D.C. - which is actively exploring litigation against Secretary of State Steve Simon.  HOUSE REPUBLICANS STAND TALL FOR YOUR 2ND AMENDMENT FREEDOMS House Democrats thought unconstitutional legislation that would have been the most extreme gun ban law in the nation was worth protesting over last weekend. It was nothing more than political theater, and I said as much in a recent interview with KTTC, which you can watch here. The plan would have banned common handguns and semi-automatic hunting rifles, made it illegal to clean your gun more than 3 times per year, and made felons out of high school trap shooters. Does this sound like “common sense gun control” to you? It didn’t to House Republicans either as we stood tall against it. When it comes to nonsense like this, I trust people and that they will actually do some research and will not allow themselves to be manipulated by fear and ignorance. Its very clear that, both at the state and national level, Democrats believe the exact opposite and pray that you will vote based on fear. Their path to power depends on people being naïve and ignorant, it’s been proven time and time again. Did anyone notice the Democrats chanted “hold the vote” rather than “pass the bill?” That’s not a coincidence. They just wanted to score political points. They never intended on passing the bill, they just wanted to use the negative vote on campaign literature. There are plenty of things both Democrats and Republicans agreed on – such as school safety and mental health funding - but the Democrats won’t pass that legislation unless it is tied to radical gun legislation. For an excellent analysis on the political dynamics of what is happening in Minnesota on this gun issue – please watch Representative Walter Hudson’s analysis. It’s well worth your time. Click here for more. Rep. Hudson is one of the very best at accurately articulating what is happening in Minnesota. HEARTBREAKING STORIES: THE HUMAN SIDE OF FRAUD Speaking of fraud, I submitted the following guest column recently that discusses the human side of government mismanagement that often isn’t discussed. An estimated $9 billion in fraud has been stolen from Minnesotans. It’s a staggering number. We hear this total and are outraged that we’ve been swindled out of our hard-earned money. We pay our property taxes knowing the impact this theft has had on taxpayers. Minnesota became a fraud magnet. We know people come from outside of Minnesota - other states and countries - because word had spread about how easily you could manipulate the government systems for profit. We are compassionate people; we have always prided ourselves on taking care of our neighbors and those in need. When “shell” companies are set up “for profit,” dollars are going out, but the real tragedy are those dollars are not going to the people in need: the elderly or disabled. A recent Minneapolis StarTribune report once again confirmed what many of us have said all along: your government knew fraud was taking place, but refused to step in. One whistleblower called the Feeding our Future scandal – where $250 million was lost – an “open secret.” From the article: “State education officials repeatedly raised concerns about possible fraud in the federally funded meals program during the pandemic, but their supervisors stopped them from taking more aggressive action.” Why? They feared potential lawsuits and being called racist. An employee was “told by management at MDE to stop digging into things because it will appear as if she was targeting certain groups,” and was “warned not to do anything that would be considered targeting or discriminating against certain diverse communities.” If the fear of being called racist was happening within the Department of Education, then it was happening elsewhere and fraud was being allowed to fester. But what about the human cost of these decisions and the complete mismanagement of our state government? A family from Lake City could not find an assisted living facility with an opening nearby for their elderly father. This led to family members unknowingly placing him in a shady Metro Area facility. When they came to visit, they found he hadn’t been showered or fed. Alarmed, they tried to pull him out of the facility, which led to management threatening to call the police and have him arrested. By the time they got him out of there, he was filled with bed sores, had lost 50 pounds, and was nearly dead. This facility missed all the very basic expectations of care for an elderly man. But they certainly didn’t miss charging hundreds of dollars per day to Medicare for services they claimed but never performed. Fraud should not be a political football. Investigations should not be shut down nor whistleblowers retaliated against. This is just one example of a human tragedy due to the blatant mismanagement of state government programs. There are others. I have connected with a local autism center and multiple disability homes – all with real people needing care and services. Yet, they are all facing significant challenges due to Minnesota’s bungling of this fraud epidemic. Outside of the fraud arena, local business owners have contacted me about this state’s anti-business policies and over regulation. Multi-million-dollar projects growing our local economy getting caught up with this state’s cumbersome permitting process. One investor fears he is heading towards bankruptcy, not because of anything he has control over, but by waiting on the state. He told me this week, “I would never have built my business in Minnesota if I knew it was going to be like this.” I find this tremendously awful. If state government is considered a three-legged stool, with the governor, House and Senate serving as the three legs, House Republicans had one-half of one leg this session. The other 2 ½ legs are controlled by Democrats. With that in mind, I am proud of our accomplishments this session: $400 million in tax relief, creating a fraud investigation office, updating outdated human services technology for counties, and preventing billions of dollars in new tax increases from becoming law. But just imagine what could be done if the public realized that their state government is beyond dysfunctional and demanded change. Stories of human suffering due to purposeful government mismanagement and neglect are unacceptable. We must find the will to do better.  Wishing you all a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Here’s hoping you have time to relax and enjoy your families and can take part in a Memorial Day event near you. Freedom isn’t free, and we must always honor those who paid the ultimate price. |