Dear Neighbors,
As we all await warmer and sunnier days, the House has been hard at work as the end of session is just around the corner. We recently came to a bipartisan agreement on spending targets and are wrapping up bill hearings before the tough budget work gets underway. Here is an update from the Capitol.
Human Services Budget Bill
This year’s Human Services budget process was difficult as we had to make significant cuts to services that Minnesotans rely on. The fact is that we need to be increasing our investment in human services, not decreasing it. But, due to Trump’s mismanagement of the economy and direct attack on social services, we were faced with a huge budget shortfall. This year, it was largely disability services that had to be reduced. Our bill uses a number of strategies to soften the pain of these potential cuts; like passing some of the cost onto county governments, reducing the rate at which costs of services grows (while this delays when the pain will be felt, it is still a difficult cut,) and reforming how service providers are paid.
This bill is still a work in progress as we have to negotiate a compromise position with our Senate counterparts. But it is clear that human services will continue to suffer as long as Trump and Republicans have full control at the federal level.
Small Business Impact Survey
Amid additional federal tariffs taking effect today, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is gathering information from affected small businesses in Minnesota.
In this period of uncertainty, there may be a lag in data, so this survey is a way for our local business owners to communicate directly with the department now. The survey takes less than five minutes to complete. By collaborating with Minnesota's locally owned small businesses, which face significant challenges, we can proactively plan for the state's future needs.
Fraud Prevention Resources
Text, email, and social media scams are becoming more sophisticated and more prevalent. If you’re like me, you probably have gotten some of these scam texts that say you need to pay a toll or confirm a payment--it's important to be skeptical of such texts. Those E-Z Pass texts are scams, and MnDOT has issued a fraud warning here with resources in case you accidentally click a link.
Attorney General Keith Ellison has some resources on How to Spot a Scam with helpful examples and a list of common scams. If you have concerns about a particular offer or believe you are the victim of a scam, the Attorney General wants to hear from you. You may call at (651) 296-3353 (Twin Cities Calling Area) or (800) 657-3787 (Outside the Twin Cities), or submit a Consumer Assistance Request Form.
Meanwhile, here at the Legislature, we are working on bills to support the Attorney General’s work cracking down on fraud in the public and private sectors. Some proposals include stiffer penalties on Medicaid fraudsters, a fraud investigation unit within the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, fighting against employer misclassification fraud, and protecting veterans from claim sharks that seek to profit off the benefits they earned in service to our country.
Stay Connected
If you have any questions or comments on our work, now is a great time to touch base! Please feel free to contact my office at (651) 296-4257 or rep.mohamud.noor@house.mn.gov. I always appreciate hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Mohamud Noor
State Representative
District 60B