Dear Neighbor,
Before we get to this week’s news from the Capitol, I want to reiterate how good it was that both legislative bodies took quick action last week to pass a measure that will assist farmers in recovering from near-record amounts of snow that have fallen all across the state.
A column I submitted to area newspapers this week takes a close look at this subject and I encourage you to look for it in our local publications, or click here for the full article.
Much of the focus in the House remains on bringing bills through the committee process as we now stand midway through the 2019 session. Two separate bills I have authored to address grain elevator bankruptcies received hearings this week. Another bill of mine facilitating a land transaction to allow the Kraft Heinz plant in Albany to expand looks promising.
As for news from the floor this week, the House provided overwhelming approval of separate bills to combat the opioid crisis, crack down on distracted driving and provide schools with extra snow days in light of our wicked weather this winter.
There are flaws in each of the bills and I hope conference committees make improvements before the proposals come back to the House for final approval. I also would like to see schools find creative ways of getting back up to the state-mandated 165 classroom days instead of automatically resorting to three extra days off provided by this bill.
In an update last week, I mentioned the Office of the Legislative Auditor issued a report showing widespread child care fraud in our state. The report also pointed to a lack of internal controls at the Department of Human Services and loose oversight.
This week, Inspector Carolyn Ham has been placed on leave as the situation unfolds. A second report on the Child Care Assistance Program is expected to be released next month and it will be interesting to see what that includes.
Meanwhile, legislators are working on bills to make improvements with CCAP and committee hearings are taking place to discuss them. One bill creates an independent Office of the Inspector General to bring more transparency and independence to the system. Another bill strengthens record-keeping standards with CCAP to help with tracking.
Look for more news on these and other issues as we make our way into the second half of the session.
Sincerely,
Paul