 WHAT'S NEW? Thursday was recognized as Chiefs of Police Day at the Capitol. It was good to see Red Wing Assistant Chief Brian Metling and Chief of Police Nick Sather in St. Paul this week for this event. I’m always proud to back the blue! LEGISLATION HIGHLIGHTSThis week, I agreed to chief-author the Save Minnesota Act, which mirrors the federal Save America Act. This is common sense legislation which has a more than 70% approval rating. The legislation would require voter ID for elections and proof of citizenship for individuals not already registered to vote, including individuals registering on Election Day. The bill also ensures that Minnesotans who need documentation to obtain an ID can access it at no cost, including birth records and other necessary vital documents. Finally, it would establish provisional ballots for same-day registrants. We have seen cases of illegal immigrants falsifying absentee ballot applications, fraudulent voter applications, and actually voting. Minnesota’s Secretary of State refuses to turn over voter records to the federal government, which also casts significant doubt on the integrity of our elections system. And remember, there still remains nearly 8,000 challenged records on the Hennepin County voter rolls. This legislation would go a long way towards ensuring that only legal Minnesota residents are deciding the outcome of our elections. ANALYZING FRAUD SCANDALS Everyone knows about the Feeding Our Future scandal and the $250 million worth of fraud that came with it. But there were other lesser-known site sponsors that few are aware of, and they were brought up in this week’s fraud committee hearing. Youth Leadership Academy was run by people who were political insiders. The CEO and the COO were donors to Governor Walz, Attorney General Ellison, and Representative Ilhan Omar among other Democrats. This group was found to have $23 million in fraud, yet was allowed to dissolve by Ellison, despite the fact that his office had the authority to try and claw back the money stolen. Because of this, we have no idea where this money went, and Ellison refused to show up for the hearing, so we couldn’t ask him. There was also a site sponsor called Partners in Quality Care and its illegal theft of $220 million. Despite nearly being as large as the Feeding our Future scandal, it wasn’t even forced to dissolve, it was just barred from participating in child nutrition programs. Some of the people involved in this program were also involved with Feeding Our Future. Thankfully, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is working hard to prosecute these fraudsters. We also wanted to hear from Congresswoman Ilhan Omar about her knowledge of the Feeding Our Future scandal and the role she may have played in it. But she did not show up to answer our questions. To learn more, click here. Once again, all of this information points to one indisputable conclusion: the repeated failure of leadership in Minnesota to address, prevent, and stop fraud, and the desperate need for some form of accountability. STURGEON LAKE ROAD PROJECT This week, Red Wing City Administrator Chris Heineman and Prairie Island Indian Community Government Relations Specialist Blake Johnson joined me at a capital investment hearing.  The Sturgeon Lake Road project previously received funding from the State of Minnesota. Now, local officials would like to modify the appropriations to allow for its completion. In other words, it’s not an additional cost to state taxpayers. 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. 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! |