Chaotic Start to Session
Unfortunately, this session started with an unprecedented level of chaos and partisanship. A recent court ruling disqualified the Democrat representative-elect from District 40B in Roseville because he didn’t meet residency requirements, giving Republicans a 67-66 majority in the Minnesota House. Adding to the turmoil, Democrats held a secret swearing-in ceremony two days before the session began, bypassing state law that requires members to convene in the chamber at noon on the first day of session. They also have not shown up to committee hearings or the legislative floor sessions all week. All 67 Republican members have been present and working, but we are now in a legal battle over whether 67 or 68 votes are a quorum of the House. Reminder: the Democrats have 66 current members and the Republicans have 67. Anyway, the MN Supreme Court will be deciding the issue late next week. In the meantime, Republicans will continue working.
House File 1 – Stop the Fraud, Waste and Abuse
While these partisan distractions continue, I remain focused on our legislative priorities and am honored to be the chief author of House File 1, the Anti-Fraud Bill.
As you know, Minnesota government (and ultimately taxpayers) have lost nearly a billion dollars to fraud over the past several years and we suspect that number will continue to grow as investigations continue. Most of this was preventable as we know state agencies were aware it was occurring, but did nothing to stop it. That needs to end now.
HF1 was introduced yesterday and will start going through various committees gathering input, positive suggestions, and language changes from both Republicans and Democrats. Our goal is to put checks and balances in place to make sure this never happens again.
Committee Assignments
For me, I will be on the Taxes and Transportation Committees, as well as serving as the Vice-Chair of a newly created committee called the Committee on Government Fraud and Oversight. This new committee is a direct response to the numerous fraud cases we’ve seen across the executive agencies recently. It will have subpoena power and enable the legislature to not only help prevent fraud in the future, but also catch any remaining fraud in our state agencies. Finally, I have the honor of working with my counterparts in the Senate on the Joint Legislative Audit Commission where I chair the Audit Subcommittee.
Despite the rocky start, I’m committed to rolling up my sleeves and delivering meaningful results for Minnesotans. I hope our Democrat colleagues will return to the table soon so we can move forward together.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with your questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Rep. Patti Anderson
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