Hello from the State Capitol,
I hope you are having a wonderful summer! I’ve enjoyed seeing many of you at local parades recently as well as at town hall meetings!
I’ve held 8 town halls throughout southeastern Minnesota, including several with State Representative Pam Altendorf, giving residents a chance to come out and learn more about what’s happening in state government and to have their legislative questions answered.
By a wide margin, the Number 1 discussion topic at these gatherings has been the overwhelming amount of fraud taking place within the State of Minnesota. And though session ended in mid-May, it seems we continue to hear a different fraud issue every week, if not every day.
MINNESOTA’S VOTER INTEGRITY DEBACLE: VOTE FIRST, VERIFY LATER?
I’m one of six state representatives that serve on the bipartisan, bicameral Legislative Audit Commission. Last week, we heard from the nonpartisan Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) about its findings of voter integrity in the State of Minnesota. Secretary of State Steve Simon was on hand as well.
Simon bragged about 99.9% accuracy within the system. I immediately reminded him that in a state with 3.8 million people, that means – best case – that there are at least 3,800 inaccurate, unaccounted for voters. Two years ago, a state representative race in Shakopee was decided by 14 votes. Al Franken had 312 more votes than Norm Coleman. 3,800 votes can, and do, matter.
The OLA report exposed major loopholes in the system. Thousands of voters were allowed to register and cast a ballot on Election Day but couldn’t be verified as legal voters. It also showed the Secretary of State’s Office does not follow the law for inactive voters, choosing to leave voters on the rolls years after they should have been deactivated. For example, we know for a fact that Hennepin County alone had nearly 8,000 challenged voters on its master list because of questions about their eligibility to vote.
Back when I was a Winona County Commissioner, Secretary Simon visited our board meeting and bragged about how every vote was counted. Not verified. And that’s the key problem. The Secretary of State’s Office wants to count first, and verify later.
The verification process takes 41 days. By that point, close races have already been called. It’s clearly an issue, but Secretary Simon defends the process, which is crazy. When a state has created a system where you can vote weeks before Election Day, where you can be handed a ballot by claiming you live underneath a bridge or in someone’s shed in the inner cities, and where many if not most of the unverified voters likely come from one specific area within the state and are likely being convinced to vote for one specific party, you have purposely created a situation where voter fraud is certainly likely and voter integrity is highly in doubt.
Liquor store employees don’t let an 18-year-old buy a case of beer and tell him to come back and show his ID a month later. Why does our state continue to just shrug its shoulders and accept this nonsensical practice when it comes to handing a ballot to a challenged voter? Verify who you are and verify that you are legally able to cast a ballot in this state first and then – and only then – should your ballot be counted.
VERIFICATION ALSO LACKING IN AG WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION PROGRAM NUMBERS
I have also received some preliminary stats from an upcoming OLA report that analyzes the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP). You will recall this a very important program to me, as I was one of the first farmers in the state to receive MAWQCP certification.
This session I chief-authored legislation that would provide any farmer in the Karst Region with a $5 per acre tax credit for any ag land that is placed in the MAWQCP. The plan would prevent future nitrates from entering the ground water and eliminate other pollutants that are often associated with ag land.
This biggest issue I found is another that could be considered fraud: purposely overinflated numbers. Until I began carrying this MAWACP legislation, it was considered a DFL program and touted as such. Two years ago, Governor Walz traveled to our area and, in an effort to bolster his political party’s position in rural Minnesota, bragged that 1 million acres had been certified in the program.
One problem: the actual numbers were nowhere close to accurate. The Walz administration basically allowed farmers to become certified, contingent on the fact that they would implement best management processes at a later date. In essence, certify first, comply later. Sound familiar?
The report found that over four years, roughly 50% of those who received MAWQCP certification based on this contingency ultimately did not implement best management processes as they said they would do. Just like voting, to inflate their numbers government allowed people to claim the reward without verification. It’s yet another example of the culture of fraud that runs rampant in this state, and it is very frustrating.
MORE QUESTIONS SURROUND MINNESOTA'S CHILD CARE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
A recent KSTP investigation revealed that Minnesota currently has 436 open investigations involving publicly funded child care providers, underscoring the ongoing need for stronger oversight of the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).
The state has begun rolling out a long-awaited electronic attendance verification system that will allow attendance records to be matched with billing data, making it easier to detect discrepancies and identify potential fraud. While this is an important step forward, the system is initially being implemented with just 81 providers, and state officials have not established a timeline for expanding it statewide.
Taxpayer-funded programs must be managed with transparency, accountability, and strong safeguards to ensure assistance reaches the families they are intended to serve. The launch of electronic attendance verification is welcome progress, but the large number of ongoing investigations makes it clear that much more remains to be done. Minnesota should continue strengthening oversight, improving fraud detection, and equipping state agencies with the tools necessary to identify abuse early and protect public resources.
LAKE PEPIN TRAGEDY
As you have likely heard, three people lost their lives this weekend after a tragic boating accident on Lake Pepin, and two of them were members of the Wabasha Fire Department. Their families, and an entire community, are reeling from this loss. Please include all of those impacted in your prayers. My sincere condolences to all who are impacted by this tragedy.
SIGNING OFF, FOR NOW
Under state law, legislators are prohibited from sending unsolicited correspondence after July 17, which is 60 days after the legislature adjourned for the year. That means this will be my final legislative update until Election Day has passed. From here on out, Facebook will be the best place to keep up with updates and information from me.
But do know that my office remains open and is available to assist with state-related questions and constituent services you may have. In other words, if you reach out directly, I can and will respond.
KEEP IN TOUCH
As always, my door is always open. If you ever have any legislative questions, please contact me. I can be reached at rep.steven.jacob@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651.296.2273.
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Steve