ST. PAUL – State Rep. Jeff Dotseth, R-Silver Township, is calling for heightened state agency accountability and better accounting after yet another non-partisan audit revealed serious mismanagement and lost taxpayer revenue in Minnesota.
This time, a report issued Tuesday by the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor indicates the Department of Human Services did not comply with the significant finance-related legal requirements, has not attempted to recover substantial overpayments totaling more than $40 million to Medical Assistance providers, and has not accurately reported its accounts receivable balance to Minnesota Management and Budget for inclusion in the state’s financial statements since 2019.
“This report shows DHS is failing to conduct even the most basic accounting practices and is allowing taxpayer dollars to continue being wasted,” Dotseth said. “The agencies have gotten a bit relaxed during two years of full Democrat control in St. Paul, and we need to tighten things up because Minnesota taxpayers deserve better. That’s why Republicans are focusing on bringing accountability back to state government. Our state just had a historic surplus but that was spent and now we’re looking at shortfall exceeding $5 billion. Common-sense accounting practices and reasonable accountability measures should be our first steps toward fixing our bottom line.”
Dotseth said House Republicans are sending formal letters to all 25 state agency commissioners, requesting detailed information on department expenditures, potential areas for cost savings, how to increase efficiencies, and areas for budget reductions within their agencies. He said this is the first step in House Republicans’ efforts to rein in out-of-control spending and stabilize Minnesota’s long-term budget outlook.
This audit is just the latest in a series of reports Dotseth said reveal rampant fraud and waste in Minnesota departments and programs, from Feeding our Future to childcare assistance, frontline worker pay, and DHS and the Department of Education, costing Minnesota taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
The full OLA audit regarding DHS mismanagement is available at https://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/.
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