Hello from the State Capitol,
Bills are being heard at a rapid pace in our House committees these days, and I personally presented three bills this week.
The public safety committee heard my proposal that establishes a compliance hearing for those ordered by the court to relinquish firearms for domestic abuse convictions. Current law allows the court to prohibit the possession of firearms for certain domestic abuse convictions. My bill requires that whenever a court issues an order restricting an abusing party from possessing firearms, the court must schedule and hold a compliance hearing within ten business days of issuing that order to ensure all firearms have been transferred and all proofs of transfer submitted.
In environment, my bill requiring the MPCA to develop a voluntary training program for commercial applicators of deicers (salt) to promote best management practices and provide certification to those who complete the training and pass an exam was also debated.
Finally, the state government committee heard my Payment Transparency Act, a bill that states public agencies must notify contractors and subcontractors at all levels about payments being made on public improvements and construction projects. It’s designed to reduce the amount of payment disputes and lawsuits.
GOVERNOR’S MEDICAID ‘REFORM’ PLAN WOULD BE A COSTLY POWER GRAB
With at least $9 billion stolen from state taxpayers due to fraud that has gone unchecked in Minnesota for years, Governor Walz has unveiled plans to centralize control over Medicaid spending inside the Department of Human Services (DHS).
Giving greater fraud authority to an agency that has proven repeatedly it does not have the ability to investigate fraud is a recipe for disaster.
Where I do agree with the governor is that county software and technology must be updated in order for them to better deliver and monitor social programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more effectively. Estimated cost for the needed updates is north of $500 million.
What is maddening is that two years ago, an all-Democrat led legislature and Governor Walz squandered an $18 billion surplus and raised taxes by another $10 billion besides. So why wasn’t this taken care of when the state had a record-breaking windfall?
I brought this up in the House Ways and Means Committee this week. Click here to watch.
NON-EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION FRAUD
Non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) in the State of Minnesota is the latest fraud filled program to undergo scrutiny by our House fraud committee. NEMT gives rides to the elderly and other vulnerable patients to their medical appointments.
NEMT has been labeled as high risk due to investigations finding fake rider logs, inflated trip billing, providers taking longer routes to increase charges, and more.
Believe it or not, the Department of Human Services (DHS) has known about this problem for 15 years and done nothing. In 2011, the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) raised a red flag, noting that forcing transportation providers to install GPS devices in their vehicles could ensure accuracy in delivering this needed service. DHS sat on its hands, the GPS advice was ignored, and who knows how many millions of dollars have been ripped off since.
LOCAL VISITS
It’s always fun to take part in a groundbreaking! Recently I was able to attend a ceremony for the the Bank of Elk River - Andover branch.
