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Good morning!
We have just over two weeks left in the legislative session, and things are moving quickly at the Capitol. This is the time when final decisions get made, more bills come up for votes, and negotiations pick up as we work toward our constitutional adjournment deadline. There is still a lot to get done in a short amount of time, and the focus is on moving priorities forward, working through differences, and getting results for the people I represent.
FBI Raids
This week, federal agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation executed more than 20 search warrants in the Minneapolis area as part of a large-scale investigation into fraud involving publicly funded social service programs, including autism services, childcare providers, and related organizations. The scope and coordination of these raids highlight serious, ongoing concerns about how taxpayer dollars are being spent and just how extensive these fraud networks may be.
I am grateful to our federal partners for stepping in and taking action to hold bad actors accountable. At the same time, it is deeply frustrating that this level of federal intervention was necessary. Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison have not done enough to address these issues at the state level, and Minnesotans deserve better when it comes to oversight and protecting public funds.
This situation reinforces the need for stronger accountability measures here at home. We must ensure that systems are in place to catch fraud early, stop it quickly, and prosecute it fully. Taxpayers expect their dollars to be used to serve vulnerable populations, not exploited, and it is our responsibility to restore trust and make sure that happens.
Penalizing Cities and Counties??
The debate over Minnesota’s new state flag has raised important questions about local control and who gets to make decisions for our communities. Cities and counties across the state have different perspectives, and local leaders are in the best position to reflect the views and values of the people they represent.
HF 5077, a bill introduced this week by a handful of metro Democrats, takes a top-down approach by tying state funding to whether local governments comply with flying the newly adopted state flag. Under the bill, a city or county would see a 10 percent reduction in local government aid if they choose to fly a different flag. That is a significant financial penalty that could directly impact core services like public safety, infrastructure, and other local priorities.
Using state funding as leverage to force compliance sets a concerning precedent. It shifts decision-making away from local governments and toward a one-size-fits-all mandate from St. Paul, backed by the threat of reduced resources. That is not how we should approach issues that are, at their core, about local identity and community preference.
At the end of the day, this is about trusting local communities to make their own decisions. Cities and counties should have the flexibility to choose which flag to fly without fear of financial penalties, and we should be focused on supporting those communities, not putting additional pressure on them.
 Protecting our Students
On Monday this week, we passed HF 3489 passed the House floor, marking a clear step toward stronger protections for Minnesota students. The bill tightens school safety and accountability standards, including more consistent field trip requirements to ensure proper supervision when students are off campus.
It also strengthens oversight by requiring certain misconduct to be reported to professional licensing boards, ensuring serious concerns don’t stay isolated within a single school or district. In addition, and arguably most importantly, it creates a criminal offense for grooming, giving law enforcement a stronger, earlier tool to act on predatory behavior.
This is a concrete improvement in how Minnesota protects students and holds systems accountable when safety is at risk. Parents across the state send their children to school and entrust them to teachers and educators there to protect and teach them. When sick individuals take advantage of that trust to harm kids, they must be punished to the fullest extent and this bill allows that to happen now. I am grateful that we got this bill across the finish line this week.
Events and Shoutouts
Congratulations to the Osakis 5th-grade Math Masters team on their competition in Alexandria on Friday, April 24th. In the Individual rounds, Travis Miller placed 14th out of 132 students. As a team, they placed 9th out of 26 teams. Great job, everyone!
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