Hello from the State Capitol,
Rooting out fraud within Minnesota has been one of our top legislative priorities this year. As seen in the graphic above, more than $600 million has been positively confirmed as stolen from state taxpayers, and there is likely much, much more that we have yet to uncover.
This is why House Republicans have created a website that allows Minnesotans to report fraudulent activity that they have experienced.
MNFraud.com is designed specifically to collect tips from individuals who have firsthand knowledge of waste, fraud, or abuse in state agencies or publicly funded programs. Information submitted through the site is reviewed by the staff of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee. The information, including the identities of whistleblowers, is protected much as it would be on a secure-payment processing website.
If you know of waste, fraud and abuse within state agencies, please report your experience to www.MNFraud.com, and please encourage others to do the same.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION THOUGHTS
Much has been made about the potential disbanding the federal Department of Education as home-schooling in Minnesota is nearly at an all time high.
In Minnesota, education spending constitutes nearly 40 percent of our state budget. Of that, around 8 percent of that funding comes from the Federal Department of Education, with about 80 percent of that coming through the Federal Department of Agriculture to feed children. Programs like this would continue to operate and be managed by the Department of Agriculture if the Department of Education is eliminated.
What isn’t hypothetical are the 65+ unfunded mandates passed by Governor Walz and House Democrats in 2023 that have completely devastated local school districts, leading to layoffs and budget cuts. These layoffs and budget cuts are not theoretical in nature, they’re actually happening all across Minnesota right now. To make matters worse, Governor Walz’s budget proposal this year includes nearly $200 million in education cuts — on the back of special education, on the back of nonpublic pupils, and on the back of teachers’ pay, including Q comp.
GOVERNOR WALZ WANTS DEVASTATING CUTS TO NURSING HOMES
Governor Walz recently updated his budget recommendations for the next two years. If approved, Minnesota’s nursing homes would be devastated.
According to a recent analysis, Governor Walz’s proposed budget would cut an estimated $700 million in funding for nursing homes over four years.
So, what would that mean locally? Here’s how much local nursing homes would stand to lose over the next four years if Governor Walz’s plans became law:
Green Prairie Rehabilitation Center – Plainview: $1.134 million
Pine Haven Care Center – Pine Island: $1.877 million
Whitewater Health Services – St. Charles: $737,000
Zumbrota Care Center – Zumbrota: $1.147 million
So long as this state continues to significantly spend money on things that border on the ridiculous, such as free college tuition and health care for illegal immigrants, there is no reason that spending reductions should be made on nursing homes, programs that benefit the elderly and disabled, or our schools.
Have a good weekend,
Steve