Hello from the State Capitol,
With $9 billion already lost to fraud in Minnesota, it’s clear that action needs to be taken.
One of the most important ways we can do this is by creating an office that can investigate and provide some much needed enforcement, and not have to worry about the administration covering up the unwelcome news.
That’s why we have been pushing to establish the independent Office of Inspector General (OIG). In order to help stop fraud in Minnesota, the legislation would establish the OIG and it would be given real investigative powers and enforcement authority, and would not be subject to any direction given or intervention made by the Governor’s Office.
Yet House Democrats continue to block it from moving forward, which makes no sense. The same plan had overwhelmingly bipartisan support in the Senate last year, yet House Democrats are now trying to water down the bill by trying to allow the administration to be more involved and removing the independent portion. Considering Governor Walz and his staff have not taken fraud seriously throughout his tenure in office, recently saying “this fraud thing happens in every state,” we need people in place that won’t be under his thumb – or that of any future governor.
SCHOOL SAFETY BILLS DEBATED
School safety has been one of the top priorities for our caucus over the past few years, and this week we heard several proposals that are designed to give all schools – public, private, tribal – more resources to better protect their students, teachers, and other staff.
One bill focused on physical improvements to school buildings that can save lives during an emergency, such as locks, barriers and security infrastructure, and would provide grants to implement these measures. Another would provide new safe schools revenue to private, charter, and tribal schools, allowing them to pay for school resources officer salaries, security on school property, cyber-security measures, mental health professionals, drug abuse prevention programs, and much more. The final bill allows nonpublic and tribal schools to apply for building/cyber security grants through the Minnesota Department of Education.
There should be strong bipartisan support for keeping every school in our state safe. As the board chair of a non-public school, I can speak firsthand about how critical this legislation is. Remember, Governor Walz and legislative Democrats refused to prioritize security funding for private and charter schools in 2023 when they had full control of state government. After the tragedy at Annucation, it’s clear we need to prioritize safety for all schools right now. Every student deserves to feel safe.
LOCAL VISITS AND LEGISLATION
This week in our health committee I presented a bill that assists medical providers who are providing patients with their health records.
I also had an interesting conversation with a Sandy Hook Promise representative who supports The Say Something Anonymous Reporting System being implemented in Minnesota. This would allow students in grades 4-12 to share a concern, privately and safely, about a potential troubled student, allowing for intervention and assistance before a crisis occurs.
Have a good weekend,
Tom