Hello from the State Capitol,
A formal request was sent to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi from Minnesota House Republicans this week, urging a Department of Justice investigation into the rampant waste, fraud, and abuse that is taking place within Minnesota’s state agencies. At minimum, $610 million of your tax dollars have been stolen, and some believe the total is well above $1 billion.
The request follows six years of documented mismanagement and significant losses to fraudsters in human services programs and other state-run programs. All of this has happened under Governor Walz’s tenure, and he has done nothing about it. Legislative Democrats who previously controlled the state legislature also refused to hold a hearing on the confirmed fraud reports.
House Republicans are committed to addressing the fraud problem in this state and we will be fighting for solutions that hold criminals accountable while implementing measures that stop fraud in the first place. To date, there has been no accountability at all to protect your tax revenue, so we are hopeful the DOJ will step in and do the job the governor and Democrat leadership failed to do.
PERMITTING REFORM
Legislation that would improve and streamline Minnesota’s cumbersome permitting process cleared its first legislative hurdle this week, as it was approved by the Minnesota House Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy Committee.
Last year, only limited permit reform – that focused on renewable energy – was approved, as the needs of mining and agriculture were ignored.
Minnesota’s environmental permitting process has been cited as a barrier to economic growth within the state. With concerns around cost of living, attracting local economic growth can show we are serious about improving our economic conditions. Further, it will show businesses that we want them to stay in the state.
Minnesota currently lags behind neighboring states in new and expansion projects and ranks 40th in state gross domestic product growth from 2019-2022. Businesses within the state continue to report delays with permitting, as well as problems with uncertainties in the process. In general, we need to make the path for environmental permitting clear and transparent, while enacting reasonable expectations.
LOCAL VISITORS
Enjoyed the opportunity to visit with Tim Brinkman and Brian Wikstrom this week as they spent some time at the Capitol advocating for the Minnesota Telecom Alliance about telecommunication issues affecting their industry.
The MTA’s members work in a rapidly changing marketplace as they strive to provide high-quality telecommunications services.
Also appreciated the time spent with Mark Borseth from DigiKey as he made his way down to St. Paul for the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities event this week.
CGMC does a great job advancing key issues that make Minnesota strong. In particular we discussed property tax relief, local government aid and Emergency Medical Services issues.
What a fantastic event this week at the annual Council of County Presidents gathering hosted by Farm Bureau! It was wonderful to see member leaders from all over the state come together for a day filled with professional growth, learning, and connecting with one another.
