On Wednesday, February 12, Senate Republicans rolled out a comprehensive plan consisting of eight bills to hold government accountable and stop waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayers’ dollars. The plan is part of the group’s Minnesotans First agenda for the 2025 legislative session.
“Minnesotans expect their government to be responsible stewards of their taxpayer dollars,” Senator Bill Weber (R-Luverne) said. “The loss of over $500 million to waste, fraud, and abuse is unacceptable. This must end, and Senate Republicans are committed to holding government accountable.”
The proposed bills address various issues, including empowering the nonpartisan Office of the Legislative Auditor and creating a state Office of Inspector General. They also propose a state grants administrator, a central grant system, increased oversight of grant recipients, and additional accountability, training requirements, and whistleblower protections for state employees.
Bill List
Senate Republicans’ comprehensive plan to hold government accountable to stop the waste, fraud, and abuse includes the following Republican-championed bills:
Oversight
- SF TBD: Increase penalties on state employees who don’t follow the law to report suspected waste, fraud, or abuse
- SF 475: Whistleblower protection laws for state employees who report suspected waste, fraud, or abuse (Heard in State and Local Government Committee on Feb. 11, 2025)
- SF 1219: Create a centralized state Office of Inspector General
Transparency
- SF 730: Transparency in the Attorney General’s office (Heard in Judiciary and Public Safety Committee on Jan. 29, 2025)
- SF 263: OLA review on agency compliance based on OLA recommendations to relevant House and Senate committees (Heard in State and Local Government Committee Feb. 11, 2025)
Grant Reforms