Sen. Lucero joined the Wright County Mayor's meeting Wednesday evening this week to discuss the unconstitutional, 1400+ page bill the Democrats broke the rules to ram through which contains hundreds of new taxes and regulations making living in Minnesota even more expensive!

 

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

 

Rep. Hudson and I will be participating in a town hall tomorrow (Saturday) from 9:30 AM – 11 AM at Saint Michael Cinema. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning!

 

Minnesota’s nonpartisan Legislative Auditor recently issued reports investigating the Walz administration’s bungled handling of two taxpayer-funded programs: the Feeding our Future child nutrition fraud scheme and the Frontline Worker Pay program. The findings outlined in the reports confirmed an alarming trend of inadequate management, insufficient oversight, and an inability to protect tax dollars from fraud and abuse.  

  

Despite glaring evidence of fraud, Gov. Walz and legislative Democrats made the deliberate decision to look the other way allowing the flagrant theft of taxpayer dollars to continue. Tens-of-millions of dollars could have and should have been used to lower taxes and help hardworking Minnesotans but instead ended up in the pockets of fraudsters due to pervasive Democrat malpractice.

The Feeding Our Future scandal began and then escalated rapidly with the onset of the Covid pandemic, when the organization claimed to feed thousands of children daily. By mid-2020, serious concerns emerged about potential fraud, with allegations of a "fraud ring" surfacing in October 2020. By the end of 2021, Feeding Our Future had received a staggering $198 million in federal funds, a sharp rise from $3.4 million just two years earlier. Estimates suggest over $250 million, potentially up to $500 million, was stolen through grossly inflated meal reporting claims. By January 2022, the FBI was conducting raids, uncovering significant discrepancies in the nonprofit's operations. The first round of guilty verdicts were delivered on June 10.  

  

The Feeding Our Future audit revealed severe lapses in oversight and accountability by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). MDE's inadequate monitoring and failure to address multiple red flags enabled the theft of over $250 million of taxpayer dollars intended to feed needy children. Despite receiving complaints and finding non-compliance issues, MDE repeatedly approved applications. And even after identifying serious deficiencies on two occasions, MDE failed to take corrective action, allowing the fraud to continue unabated.   

  

In 2022, Senate Republicans held three hearings to get to the bottom of the Feeding our Future scheme, and issued a report with essentially the same three findings as the OLA: MDE did not follow related state and federal law; MDE practiced questionable business practices that would seldom survive in a work environment that provided real accountability; MDE lacked administrative direction and seems divorced from reality and what was demanded of it.  

  

The OLA report vindicated GOP concerns and the assessment that MDE failed to do even the most basic of accountability measures to protect taxpayers’ dollars and ensure food meant to feed children reached the children who needed it.  

Sen. Lucero hosting a town hall with Rep. Novotny, Rep. Scott, and Sen. Bahr last Saturday at Oak Grove City Hall. Attendees were frustrated by the multi-subject, unconstitutional, 1400+ page mega-omnibus bill the Democrat tyranny broke the rules to ram through both the House and Senate in a matter of minutes when zero electronic or physical copy was available at the time to even know what was being voted upon.

I was recently appointed to the Legislative Working Group on Common Interest Communities and Homeowners Associations. The working group was newly created as part of the 2024 legislative session and consists of 18 individuals representing a broad cross-section of stakeholders including members of HOAs, realtors, attorneys, and other designees.

 

I am very pleased and excited to have been appointed to the working group. As a licensed real estate agent and the Republican Lead on the Senate Housing Committee, it’s my strong opinion HOA reform is long overdue.

 

The focus and duties of the working group will be to examine HOA fees, fines, and costs to residents, the impact of HOAs on housing costs, HOA board transparency and dispute resolution, laws governing HOAs, and others items related to HOAs. The product of the working group will be to report recommendations for legislative reforms and regulations by Feb. 1, 2025 for the next legislative session.

 

Last legislative session I chief authored Senate File 4442, and HOA reform bill, in response to constituents who reached out to me sharing information regarding HOA issues. While my bill did not become law, formation of this new HOA working group is a positive step toward raising awareness and bringing stakeholders together for conversation regarding concerns Minnesotans are experiencing with unreasonable HOAs.

Sen. Lucero joined Dr. Kim Tran’s on the radio Friday last week to discuss the important efforts of protecting the safety, security, and privacy rights of women and girls from men pretending to be female.

 

Sen. Lucero joined local St. Paul residents Tuesday evening last week to discuss the multi-subject, unconstitutional, 1400+ page mega-omnibus bill the Democrat tyranny broke the rules to ram through when zero electronic or physical copy was available to even know what was being voted upon.

1.) Federal Government / Federal Reserve seek to manipulate the market.

2.) Trillions of $$$ printed from thin air increasing money supply in circulation.

3.) Multi-year ~10% inflation occurs as result eroding value of dollar.

4). Federal Reserve raises interest rates in response to inflation they caused.

5.) Citizens feel hopeless in multiple areas of life, including real estate.

6.) Ineffective / unconstitutional actions by government are root cause denying citizenry opportunities and ability to pursue happiness.

 

The incredibly skewed world view of Democrats is harming Minnesota.

 

1.) Families are struggling with soaring childcare costs.

2.) Democrat single-party control creates even more irrational laws and rules on childcare providers.

3.) Childcare providers respond by raising prices or closing their doors (which in turn shrinks the number of available childcare providers).

4.) Result is Democrats are the direct cause of soaring childcare costs in MN.

 

BIDENOMICS:  Democrat failed policies raise housing costs for both homeowners and renters, crushing family budgets. Democrats are robbing good people of the American Dream and the opportunity to build generational wealth.

 

Devastating learning loss continues to harm our children in Minnesota under single-party control.

 

Incredible damage occurring to hardworking individuals, families, and businesses across Minnesota as a direct result of extremist, single-party control.

 

Inverse 'Midas Touch' effect. Radicals infect everything they touch.

 

More focus on healing people in our community PLEASE rather than using your role at the hospital making statements about international wars on the other side of the planet.

 

Watch your bank accounts and credit cards!

 

Each and every day I’m continuously humbled at the opportunity to represent and fight for the values and priorities of our great community!

 

Please contact me to share any issues, concerns, or feedback you have to assist me best represent you. The best way to reach me is by email at [email protected] or by phone at 651-296-5655.

 

Sincerely,

Eric Lucero

 

State Senator

District 30

Rockford Township, Hanover, Saint Michael, Albertville, Otsego, Elk River, Nowthen, Western Oak Grove 

Capitol Address

95 University Avenue W.
Minnesota Senate Bldg. 2413
St. Paul, MN 55155

651-296-5655