Dear Neighbor,
For the third week in a row, Democrats in the house have refused to show up and work for their constituents, shirking their responsibility as legislators and public servants. To add insult to injury, they are still collecting a paycheck. Despite their absence, there is still important work being done. My colleagues and I have released our legislative priorities for this session, we’ve established a House Anti-Fraud Working Committee, introduced bills to address fraud and our state’s affordability crisis.
Putting an End to Government Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
By now you are all aware of numerous cases of government fraud being uncovered these past few months. Republicans refuse to let this continue and will put an end to reckless and poorly vetted government spending that leads to scandals like Feeding our Future, Child Care Assistance Program, Frontline Worker Pay, Child Autism Centers, and more. For years, Governor Walz and Democrats have ignored Republican pleas for accountability. The Office of Legislative Auditor has made countless efforts to warn Democrats of potential waste, fraud, and abuse in state government. House Republicans have drafted numerous bills that address said issues.
Introducing Mandatory Fraud Reporting
My bill requires state agency staff to immediately report suspected fraud to law enforcement and the chairs and ranking minority members of relevant legislative committees. It would also require state agencies to prominently post organizational charts on their websites and modify various state grantmaking requirements that are administered or enforced within the executive branch by the Office of Grants Management within the Department of Administration. The bill also lays out strict mandates for the commissioner to follow, including unannounced in-person site visits for grant recipients. State employees who knowingly violate imposed requirements by the commissioner will be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Republican Press Conference
You can see, Rep. Nash, Rep. Anderson, and myself discuss this anti-fraud legislative package during last Tuesday’s press conference here.
Looking Forward
While the Democrats hold out on serving the people of Minnesota, we will continue to work hard for our communities. Just today, myself and members of the MN House Committee on Fraud held a press conference detailing the immediate success of our whistle blower hotline. Unfortunately, we can’t capitalize on this work until the DFL members feel inclined to join us at the Capitol. This means, the dozens of fraud tips we received will have to go unresolved for the time being. See press conference here.
Want to contribute to our anti-fraud efforts? Follow us on Facebook at MN House Committee on Fraud and Oversight Committee and on X: @MN_Fraud_Cmte
I appreciate your input as we move through the 2025 - 2026 Legislative Session, so please do not hesitate to share your thoughts, questions, and concerns. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-0172 or via email at rep.ben.davis@house.mn.gov.