 WHAT'S NEW?Our district is home to two state wrestling champions! Owen Parish from Cannon Falls was victorious in the Class AA 114 pound division. Jack Carlson of Goodhue won in the Class A Heavyweight bracket. Three of our sons wrestled for Goodhue and we still are huge wrestling fans. The time, dedication, and work ethic needed to achieve a championship is outstanding. Congratulations!   LEGISLATION HIGHLIGHTSMINNESOTA FRAUD IS A NATIONAL DISGRACE Once again, Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison traveled to Washington to answer questions about the unconscionable amount of fraud that has taken place on their watches, and why they chose to do nothing about it. Many of the funds stolen were from the federal government. If you think about it, it’s not just Minnesota taxpayers who were defrauded. All of our nation’s taxpayers have the right to be frustrated with them and the lack of accountability and oversight administered on these welfare programs. And, as we saw in the hearing, many in Congress are irate. Walz and Ellison are a complete embarrassment. Deeply unserious people concerned more about maintaining political power than about doing what’s right for the State of Minnesota. This week, Articles of Impeachment, seen here and here, were introduced in the Minnesota House against them both for corrupt conduct in office, and I signed on. With at least $9 billion swindled from the taxpayers of this state through countless programs, not to mention the coverups that have taken place in this administration, there is more than enough on record for them to be impeached. It’s become very clear that Walz was made aware of fraud years ago, he failed to act and allowed it to continue, and no one in his administration has been held accountable. This should not be a partisan issue. No company would allow the CEO to stay in their position if under their watch billions were lost in a fraudulent manner. Not only would they be fired in the private sector, but dare I say they would be charged criminally. Walz should not be protected by the Democrats. If we all want to move forward in Minnesota with a functioning government and accountability, Democrats should join in to help give themselves credibility and regain trust of the Minnesota’s taxpayers. ADDRESSING FRAUD IN NON-EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS Non-emergency medical transportation is a state program that provides rides to the vulnerable and elderly so they can make medical appointments. Unfortunately, it is yet another in a long list of Minnesota programs that is being scammed. The House fraud committee looked into it this week. The program is so riddled with fraud that it was listed as one of 14 high risk welfare programs in the state. After it was flagged, ridership dropped by 62% in the last quarter, which is a pretty good indication of how badly fraud was running rampant there. 15 years ago, the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) stated that there should be GPS tracking for all the transportation providers so the state could track exactly how many miles were being logged and that people were actually being transported to appointments. The human services department refused to do it. And now look where we are. Again, the continued fraud incompetence is so widespread and staggering that it’s no wonder people believe Democrat leadership is doing it on purpose. Click here for more on this issue from my colleague, Rep. Patti Anderson. INCOMPETENCE ONCE AGAIN REWARDED Governor Walz promoted Shireen Gandhi to become Minnesota’s new commissioner of the Department of Human Services. She has been the department’s compliance officer during this reign of fraud. You can’t make this up. My friend and colleague, Rep. Krista Knudsen, spoke for all of us during a House human services committee hearing recently. As we close the third week of session, I can tell you there are times in which I feel like I am living in some sort of alternate reality. Krista spoke truth to the hypocrisy and lies that we hear and see over-and-over. What a blessing it is to serve alongside her and the other Republicans who are battling to turn around this state. Click here to watch.  LOCAL VISITS It’s always great to see the blue coats arrive at the State Capitol! This week I was able to visit with FFA students from Goodhue  As well as Cannon Falls!  OUT AND ABOUT Looking for something to do this weekend? Support a great organization - First Choice Clinic - and have some fun playing pickleball!  Do you like a fish fry? The Lake City Sportsmans Club has one on Fridays.  As does St. Pius Church in Cannon Falls.  PLEASE CONTACT MEIt’s an honor and privilege to work for you at the Capitol. Don’t hesitate to contact my office at any time this session to share your thoughts, concerns or ideas. I am here to serve you! FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER - YOUTUBE - RUMBLEYou can help Minnesota by TALKING to others and SHARING conservative messages on your social media! Follow me on Twitter, Youtube, and Rumble. |