Dear Neighbors,
Thanks to those of you who took time to attend one of several town hall meetings Senator Dahms and I hosted across the district last week. Topics ranged from taxes and MNsure to environmental regulations. It was great to meet with so many of you and discuss ways we can make Minnesota an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.
Earlier this week, the non-partisan Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) released a report revealing that taxpayers spent between $115 and $271 million in the first quarter of 2015 on individuals who were either enrolled in the wrong public program or who shouldn't have been in public programs in the first place.
Such a massive waste of taxpayer dollars is unacceptable. Hardworking Minnesotans deserve better, especially those who are seeing their insurance premiums skyrocket as a result of failed Obamacare and MNsure policies.
Last session, I joined my colleagues in the House in supporting legislation that would improve eligibility verification to ensure that Minnesotans enrolled in public health programs were indeed eligible.
It was estimated that this common sense measure could have saved as much as $300 million. Unfortunately Governor Dayton and Democrats disputed these savings and the bill was not signed into law.
Clearly, MNsure continues to be a deeply flawed system. I remain committed to fighting for Minnesota’s hard working taxpayers to ensure that their dollars are used in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible.
As always, I encourage you to contact me to discuss this issue or any other matter related to state government. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-5374 or via email at rep.chris.swedzinski@house.mn.
Have a great weekend,
Chris