ST. PAUL – State Rep. Paul Anderson, R-Starbuck, is calling for heightened state agency accountability and better accounting after yet another non-partisan audit revealed serious mismanagement and lost taxpayer revenue in Minnesota.
According to the report, the Department of Human Services “did not comply with the significant finance-related legal requirements we tested and generally had inadequate internal controls” and has not attempted to recover substantial overpayments totaling more than $40 million to Medical Assistance providers, and has not accurately reported its accounts receivable balance to Minnesota Management and Budget for inclusion in the state’s financial statements since 2019.
“If there’s one thing Minnesotans deserve with their tax dollars, it is to know the state is using proper accounting methods to protect against waste and fraud,” Anderson said. “Taxpayers should expect nothing less and it’s unfortunate to learn, once again, our government is failing Minnesotans in that regard. This will be a big topic of discussion for the upcoming legislative session. We not only owe it to Minnesota taxpayers to take better care of their dollars, but it should be the first step toward resolving the $5 billion shortfall that’s projected for our state down the road.”
Anderson will serve as the Republican chair of the House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee during the upcoming biennium. He said he and fellow House Republican chairs are sending formal letters to all 25 state agency commissioners, requesting detailed information on department expenditures, potential areas for cost savings, how to increase efficiencies, and areas for budget reductions within their agencies. He said this is the first step in House Republicans’ efforts to rein in out-of-control spending and stabilize Minnesota’s long-term budget outlook.
This audit is just the latest in a series of reports Anderson said reveal rampant fraud and waste in Minnesota departments and programs, from Feeding our Future to childcare assistance, frontline worker pay, and DHS and the Department of Education, costing Minnesota taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
The full OLA audit regarding DHS mismanagement is available at https://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/.
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