It was another busy week up at your Minnesota State Capitol! I have been immersed in discussions with my colleagues regarding the rollout of many of our Committee budget bills. These bills must be carefully considered as they dictate our policy and budget for the next biennium.
Executive Report:
- State Grant Fiscal Safeguards
- Kasson Flood Mitigation
- Live Well At Home Grants
- Dodge & Olmsted Counties: Property Valuation Appeal
State Grant Fiscal Safeguards
A recent report by the Office of the Legislative Auditor found pervasive noncompliance by state agencies responsible for administering Minnesota’s state grants.
Fraud scandals like Feeding our Future are a stark reminder of the need for robust safeguards to protect taxpayer dollars. We have a duty to ensure that these funds are used to serve their intended purpose — improving the lives of Minnesotans who rely on these essential programs. We cannot allow a few bad actors to undermine the public trust in our state’s ability to be good stewards of their hard-earned money. The protections in SF-3158 are a significant step forward in restoring trust and integrity in our grant programs.
My bill will address these concerns by:
- Adding eligibility requirements for grant applicants
- Requiring submission of proper tax forms
- Ensuring that no employee of the nonprofit organization earns more than the Governor’s salary each year
- Banning governing board members from simultaneously serving as state agency employees or state, county, or local elected officials
- Instituting financial audit requirements for nonprofits that receive more than 50% of their revenue from state funds
- Mandating background checks to ensure board members have not been convicted of any theft, fraud, embezzlement, or misuse of funds or property
By increasing oversight and adding stronger safeguards, Senate File 3158 seeks to prevent future instances of fraud and misuse of taxpayer funds within Minnesota’s grant programs.
The Jobs bill allocates hundreds of thousands of grant dollars and I attempted to amend this important grant oversight into the Jobs bill today. Unfortunately, my amendment was defeated.
Thanks to KAALTV for covering this!
Kasson Flood Mitigation
Recently I talked with ABC 6 News — KAAL TV about my legislation, SF-436, to provide funding to the city of Kasson to help with flood mitigation.
This is about the safety and well-being of Kasson residents. My bill will:
- Enable the city of Kasson to make critical infrastructure improvements
- Reduce the frequency of flooding
- Prevent sanitary sewer backups and discharges
- Decrease closures of key roadways
- Reduce disruption of city services
- Improve water quality
This is important for the quality of life in Kasson and to protect taxpayers from the full brunt of these needed improvements.
Live Well At Home Grants
This week I presented my legislation to provide funding for the Live Well at Home grant program.
It would be the first funding increase in ten years. This Live Well at Home focuses on improving the quality of life for seniors by offering resources to help them stay in their homes and communities and surrounded by the people they love.
The Live Well At Home grant program has a proven track record of success. The Live Well at Home program has been an amazing resource for Minnesota and our loved ones providing access to long-term services and supports such as respite care and core funding for small home-and community-based service providers. The much needed increase in funding for Live Well at Home grants will help seniors access resources needed to age comfortably and will delay the need for long term care, saving money for Minnesotans and will result in tremendous Medicaid savings.
Thank you to April Sutor, the director of Family Service Rochester for bringing this need to my attention last Fall and for coming up to testify in support of the bill.
Property Valuation Appeal
If you are an Olmsted County property owner, you likely received a note regarding the 2023 assessed value and/or classification of your property. Southeast Minnesota, including Olmsted County, saw average residential value increases between 4% and 15%.
If you do not agree with their Estimated Market Value of your property , you are encouraged to begin the appeal process: Learn More
More information for Dodge County Market Value or Classification appeal can be found here.