Dear Neighbor,
The House is putting the finishing touches on another busy week in the 2025 session. We are spending most of our time these days working to get bills through the initial stages of the committee process ahead of next week’s preliminary deadlines to keep them in play for passage this session.
Here is the latest:
Marshall band shell bill
A good hearing took place for my Marshall band shell bill (H.F. 1393) in the Legacy Committee this week. The city is requesting a $795,000 grant from the State Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund to renovate the band shell. Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes and Parks and Recreation Superintendent Preston Stensrud (pictured above) joined me in presenting this project to the committee.
Overall, the project is estimated to cost $1.1 million. Marshall already has received a $100,000 donation and plans to obtain additional contributions while also using city funds to complete the project. We’ll keep working on this project and hope it is included in an upcoming Legacy bill. There is more coverage of this subject in a recent Marshall Independent article, including notes regarding a huge disparity in how many dollars local taxpayers have contributed to the Legacy Amendment vs. the little this area has received in return from those collections.
Fraud website
Fraud, waste and abuse is a major problem in Minnesota’s state-run programs and is a top concern for taxpayers who continue to be victimized by this ongoing trend. Here’s some good news: A new website is now available for whistleblowers to confidentially report misuse within Minnesota state government.
 The launch of MNFraud.com is one of the many steps House Republicans are taking to combat the widespread misuse of tax dollars in Minnesota programs, which has cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. This new website provides a new way for taxpayers to take an active role in cracking down on the misuse of public dollars, helping to ensure the accountability and integrity people in our state deserve. This website will serve as a central hub for Minnesotans to report concerns about suspected or observed misconduct in state program services. Submitted reports will be reviewed and directed to the appropriate authorities for further investigation and follow-up. The platform ensures the security and confidentiality of all information, including whistleblower identities, while using safeguards similar to secure payment processing systems. Minnesota has seen widespread fraud across various state-run programs, with hundreds of millions of dollars lost due to fraudulent claims and mismanagement. Scandals involving Feeding Our Future, childcare assistance, medical aid, and welfare programs continue to make headlines, highlighting the urgent need for tighter controls on taxpayer funds. While we need stronger oversight within state agencies, we need to do more than simply adding more bureaucracy. This website provides another approach – empowering citizens to take action by reporting suspected misuse of tax dollars. Capitol visitors |
Thank you to Southwestern Center for Independent Living representatives for recently coming to St. Paul and meeting with me.
Until next time, have a great weekend and please stay in touch. Less than two months remain until our May 19 date for adjournment and there’s lots of work to do.
Sincerely,
Chris