Legislative Update
 Dear friends and neighbors,
We are officially in the home stretch, with just eight days until adjournment. The finish line is in sight, and the pace at the Capitol is picking up fast as we work to wrap up the 2025-26 session.
Over these next eight days, I’ll keep fighting hard to deliver wins for our communities and make sure your voice is heard loud and clear at the Capitol.
And as you can probably guess, this week at the Capitol was nothing short of eventful… so let’s dive into a few highlights from another busy week at the Legislature.
Turning the Tide on Fraud & Restoring Accountability in Minnesota
 Minnesota has been rocked by fraud scandal after fraud scandal. These failures made national headlines, triggered FBI investigations and raids, and exposed millions of taxpayer dollars vanishing under the watch of Gov. Walz and Democrat leadership.
One of the biggest issues I continue to hear from you back home is that fraud has been allowed to flourish under the Walz Administration’s watch for far too long. Minnesotans have every reason to be upset.
Well, the Walz Administration has finally heard the people of Minnesota loud and clear, and they can no longer turn a blind eye to the blatant negligence that got us here.
After ending the Democrat trifecta in 2024, House Republicans made stopping fraud and restoring accountability one of our top priorities this session.
You may remember me discussing the push to create an Independent Office of the Inspector General earlier this year. And I am proud to report that this legislation officially passed off the House floor this week in a bipartisan vote 127-5. This is a major win for taxpayers.
This bill establishes a truly independent Office of Inspector General with real law enforcement authority to investigate waste, fraud, and abuse across state government. That enforcement authority was critical, and unfortunately, it became one of the biggest sticking points throughout negotiations.
Truth be told, there was a tremendous amount of pushback from the DFL on this legislation. Gov. Walz and House Democrats attempted to weaken the bill at nearly every turn; from trying to water it down, to pushing to remove its law enforcement authority altogether. We held the line, fought to keep the bill strong, and ultimately got them to cave on those demands. That's something I am super proud of.
The reality is, much of this fraud could have been prevented years ago if oversight had been taken seriously from the start. Unfortunately, it wasn’t, and hardworking Minnesotans were left paying the price.
Roughly 15 to 20 states already have statewide Offices of Inspector General with broad authority to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse across executive agencies. Minnesota is long overdue to join them.
This bill sends a message that the days of looking the other way are over. Accountability is back! And House Republicans will keep fighting every day to protect taxpayer dollars and restore the people's trust in state government
A Smarter, Stronger Medicaid System
Another major GOP win on the House floor this week was the passage of our health policy package, Senate File 4612. This bill delivers one of the most significant conservative victories on welfare reform in decades by restoring work requirements and strengthening accountability in Medicaid.
This legislation ensures able-bodied adults receiving Medicaid are engaged in work, training, or education in order to receive benefits. This is a commonsense move that brings fairness back into the system and reflects the values Minnesotans expect: dignity, responsibility, and opportunity.
This bill also protects taxpayers in a big way. By improving eligibility verification and tightening oversight—including more frequent eligibility checks and cross-referencing with death records to ensure benefits are going where they are truly needed and to help crack down on fraud, abuse, and improper payments that have plagued public assistance programs for years.
And even more importantly, this legislation helps Minnesota avoid what could have been a massive financial hit from Washington—roughly $3.5 billion per year in potential penalties if we failed to align with federal requirements. This bill prevents that outcome and protects Minnesota families from footing the bill.
While the heart of this legislation is federal Medicaid conformity, it also includes some targeted updates that matter in real life: from supporting children with disabilities, to improving services for physical therapists and their patients, to making sure mortuary workers can continue doing their important work without unnecessary red tape.
At the end of the day, this is about restoring balance: strengthening accountability, protecting taxpayers, and making sure assistance programs serve those who truly need them—not those who take advantage of the system.
Minnesota’s Favorite Weekend Is Here
As we head into another beautiful Minnesota spring weekend, I want to take a moment to wish all of the moms across our state a very Happy Mother’s Day. Mothers are the foundation of our families, the steady hands that hold everything together, and the heart behind so many of life’s greatest blessings. The gift of motherhood is truly one of the greatest gifts to this world.
And of course, it wouldn’t be May in Minnesota without Fishing Opener! For all of our anglers heading out this weekend, I hope the fish are biting, the buckets are full, and you get to enjoy some well-earned time with family and friends on one of Minnesota’s greatest treasures, our beautiful lakes.
As we wrap up the biennium next week, I’ll continue keeping you updated on the work happening at the Capitol. As always, please never hesitate to reach out. You can contact me by email at [email protected] or by phone at 651-296-6746.
Until next time, enjoy the sunshine, soak up the weekend, and make the most of this beautiful time of year in Minnesota.
—Representative Dawn Gillman
|
