Legislative UpdateThis week, the House returned to a 67-67 tie after the special election in Roseville concluded last week. Rep. Gottfried was sworn in on Monday, and committees have switched to have equal membership from each party and a rotating chair every other meeting. We’re just a couple of weeks away from the first and second deadlines and still have much to do to pass a budget. Unfortunately, we lost several weeks of work earlier this year, but I’m hoping that we can come together and get the people’s work done. Even with the shifting dynamics in the House, I was able to meet with a number of people this week including The MN Office of Management and Budget, constituents from the MN Chapter of American College Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), local students in FFA, members of the Dodge Country Farm Bureau, SE MN Semac, the MN Catholic Conference, and the MN Boys and Girls Clubs. Thank you all for coming in! Ensuring Transparency and AccountabilityOne of my top priorities at the Capitol is ensuring that government agencies remain transparent and accountable to the people of Minnesota. That’s why I’ve introduced HF1240, a bill designed to strengthen the oversight powers of the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA). This legislation clarifies that state agencies must fully cooperate with the OLA and promptly provide all requested materials. In recent years, we’ve seen instances where agencies delayed providing documents or conveniently "lost" critical materials. By the time records are handed over, they have often passed through multiple offices, raising concerns about whether they have been altered or sanitized. HF1240 ensures that government entities cannot sidestep accountability by delaying or obstructing audits. A fully transparent and cooperative process is essential to maintaining trust in our state government and holding agencies accountable for how they manage taxpayer resources. The Legislative Audit Commission’s Role in OversightAs Vice-Chair of the Legislative Audit Commission, I am deeply involved in overseeing and directing the work of the OLA. Unlike the federal government, where Congress has direct investigatory powers over the executive branch, Minnesota’s Legislature relies on the OLA to conduct investigations into government programs and agencies. Each year, legislators submit topics for potential audits, ranging from financial oversight to program effectiveness. The commission, which is bipartisan and bicameral, meticulously reviews these submissions, consolidating duplicate topics and narrowing them down to the most critical issues. We started with approximately 110 submissions and have now refined the list to just 18 priority topics, with further deliberations to come select five or six to be audited this year. This process ensures that the OLA focuses on the most pressing concerns, maximizing its ability to uncover inefficiencies, mismanagement, or waste in state government. Strengthening Election IntegrityFair and transparent elections are the foundation of our democracy, and we must ensure that every vote is counted. On Wednesday, the Public Safety Committee heard my bill, HF1800, which clarifies and increases the penalties for election workers who illegally destroy election materials. We’ve seen too many close races in Minnesota marred by "coincidental" ballot mishandling. In a recent Shakopee race decided by just 14 votes, it was discovered that 21 ballots had been thrown away by county elections staff. A few years ago, an election official even took ballots home and burned them in her fireplace, that race was decided by six votes. These cases of negligence or deliberate destruction undermine the integrity of our elections and the trust of Minnesota voters. HF1800 upgrades the penalty for destroying election materials, accessing and distributing vote count information before voting ends, and clarifying lying related to processes in elections. If we hold individuals accountable for fraudulent voting, it only makes sense to hold election officials to the same standard. Our democracy is too important to allow carelessness or misconduct to go unchecked. Local ShoutoutCongratulations to the Stewartville Girls Basketball Team and the Byron Boys Basketball team for making it to State! It is a huge accomplishment, and your community is proud of your hard work and determination.   |