Interim Update
Friends,
As we move closer to the end of the year, there has been a lot happening both here in Minnesota and across the country. I want to take a moment to update you on several important issues that directly impact families, taxpayers, and communities in our district.
Urging Congress to End the Federal Shutdown
On Oct. 30th, I joined Speaker Lisa Demuth, Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, and many Republican colleagues in signing a letter to Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith urging immediate action to reopen the federal government.
The letter called for a clean, short-term funding extension that has already passed the U.S. House with bipartisan support. Under President Biden, Congress has passed more than a dozen clean extensions toward this same goal. Minnesotans deserve that same level of common-sense governance now.
Families should never be used as bargaining chips in political negotiations. We are asking the Senate to put good governance above politics and act without delay.
 Governor Walz Orders Third-Party Audit of High-Risk DHS Programs
The other week, Governor Walz announced that he had ordered a third-party audit of Medicaid billing in 14 high-risk programs at the Department of Human Services. While this sort of interest and oversight is an important step, it’s also long overdue. Repeated warnings about fraud and system failures have been ignored for years, even as costs exploded and taxpayers were left holding the bill.
Now, instead of joining with Republicans to establish an independent Office of Inspector General (OIG), Governor Walz has opted to spend more of the state’s money on a 3rd party organization to find out just how much has already been lost.
New OLA Report Highlights Internal Financial Mismanagement
The Office of the Legislative Auditor recently released a report uncovering troubling internal financial mismanagement within the Walz administration. Among the findings were failures to properly track funds, repeated internal control violations, and a lack of basic safeguards.
This is just the latest example showcasing a pattern of financial negligence that the Office of the Legislative Auditor has described as “widespread financial mismanagement” coming from the Walz administration.
Supporting Local Food Shelves and Families in Need
As we enter the holiday season, I encourage you to consider donating food, household essentials, or personal care items to our local food shelves. Many families struggle throughout the holidays, and your generosity can make a real difference.
Some of the food shelf locations in our district include:
- Ruby’s Pantry
- Blessing Shelves of First Baptist
- The Brainerd Salvation Army
- Central Lakes College Food Pantry
For more information on locations in your area, you can visit the following link: https://2harvest.service-now.com/care_center?id=food_map
Please contact these locations for hours and donation needs. A small contribution goes a long way for a neighbor in need.
Thank you for taking the time to read this update and for staying engaged. As always, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our district. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to my office anytime.
Have a great weekend,
Josh
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