Dear Neighbor,
The 2025 session is off and running and it feels great to be hard at work for the people of District 28A as your new State Representative.
Performing the oath of office is a humbling experience I want to thank 28A residents for the continued support. There is a ton of work to do this session and no time to waste – which makes it even more unfortunate House Democrats still haven’t bothered showing up to work.
Quick side note: Minnesotans sent us to the Capitol to work hard making our state a better place. It’s insulting for Democrats to decide they’ll just stay home and collect a paycheck without even showing up at the People’s House. A Democrat was caught cheating in an election last November and was barred from being seated in the House, putting that party at a minority. I’m sure it’s a tough pill for Democrats to swallow, but staying home isn’t sitting well with Minnesotans. They need to get to work.
Meanwhile, House Republicans are hard at work. Cracking down on fraud in state programs is a main focus for the session and we made progress this week. Here’s more on that subject:
 Anti-fraud bills I have signed on as an author of two bills in a series of House Republican proposals to curb fraud, waste, and abuse in state programs. The common theme is to increase accountability and protect taxpayers at a time fraud and waste is rampant in Minnesota. Between fraud and government waste, the Walz administration and his agencies have largely ignored this problem and it’s gotten out of hand. House Republicans are standing up for taxpayers by saying, “enough is enough” with the fraud and waste. Minnesota families and businesses already are getting clubbed by high taxes and historic price increases, and we owe it to them to be more careful with the people’s money. The additional oversight and accountability provided in our bills will be a step in the right direction. The first three bills House Republicans drafted in response to this issue this session include: - House File 1 (which I co-sponsored): Establishes a centralized Office of the Inspector General to lead the fight against fraud across state programs. The bill consolidates agency-based inspector general offices into a unified entity, requires agencies to halt payments when fraud is suspected, and mandates the creation of a fraud reporting hotline. Additionally, it provides funding to ensure the new OIG has the resources to be effective.
- House File 2: Strengthens fraud prevention by mandating stricter reporting requirements for state agencies and equipping them with additional tools to identify and prevent fraudulent activities. This bill emphasizes transparency and swift action to address fraud concerns.
- House File 3 (which I co-sponsored): Establishes “fraud notes,” a groundbreaking tool to assess the susceptibility of proposed legislation to fraud. Similar to fiscal notes, fraud notes would provide lawmakers with an evaluation of potential fraud risks before enacting new programs or policies.
Look for each of these bills to receive their first House committee hearings in the coming weeks. March for Life |
It was great to see so many people come to the Capitol to support the unborn at this week’s March for Life rally. The sanctity of life is near and dear to me and the outpouring of support during the rally was very much appreciated. Thanks to everyone who made the trek to St. Paul for this event.
Look for more notes from me as we make our way through the legislative session. Until next time, please stay in touch and let me know how I can help as your new State Representative.
Sincerely,
Jimmy