Dear Neighbors,
I encourage folks to attend Oak Grove's town hall meeting tomorrow, Saturday, February 18th, at Bridge Street Coffee Box in Oak Grove. I will join State Senator Eric Lucero, State Senator Cal Bahr, and State Representative Peggy Scott at the event. Please stop by to discuss what's happening in St. Paul.
I was happy to join more than 130 brave souls who plunged into the icy waters of Big Lake on Saturday, Feb. 4, to make a splash for causes near and dear to our hearts.
We were able to raise more than $41,000 for at least 17 nonprofits as part of United We Shiver, a fundraising event orchestrated and hosted by the Sherburne County Area United Way.
I was part of Team Thumbs Up and we had a Laverne and Shirley theme
Democrats Fully Funding Fraud
On Monday, the House approved legislation that provides more than a hundred million dollars to the beleaguered Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). The bill language can be found here: https://bit.ly/3Izfs2s
In recent years, it’s been discovered that there has been at least $100 million in CCAP fraud, and a recent Office of the Legislative Auditor report found "pervasive noncompliance" within state agency grant management programs, particularly within the Minnesota Department of Education, which oversees the CCAP program. Even though Democrats cannot say with any certainty that the fraud problem is solved or even give examples of it being seriously addressed, they want to keep throwing money into this program.
Other recent examples of fraud, waste, and abuse include:
- $100 million in CCAP fraud
- $250 million Feeding our Future fraud of which some of this overlapped with CCAP
- A recent Legislative Auditor report found “pervasive noncompliance” within state agency grant management programs—particularly in the Department of Education. You can read the report here: https://bit.ly/3EbQAeP
We need to be targeting funds and providing care for families most in need. Democrats want to just write blank checks. That is fiscally irresponsible. I voted against this bill and will continue to be a fierce advocate for rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in public programs.
Staying in Touch
Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas on ways to improve state government. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4237 or via email at rep.paul.novotny@house.mn.
Have a good day,
Paul