Senator Bahr – Cracking down on government waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars

Friends and neighbors,

We recently wrapped up week five of the 2025 legislative session, and there is significant news coming from the House. In my last update, I mentioned that every single House Democrat had been refusing to show up for work, which stalled progress on critical legislation. However, that changed last week when an agreement was reached and House Democrats finally returned. With the legislature now fully assembled, we can focus on the important work for the people of Minnesota.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, we have been making steady progress in advancing bills through committees and the legislative process. Senate Republicans have also unveiled our plans to address government waste, fraud, and abuse, the details of which I highlight in this Capitol Update!

Cracking down on government waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars

Under the watch of the Walz Administration and Democrats, our state has lost a verified $500 million to waste, fraud, and abuse. To address this, Senate Republicans recently unveiled our plan consisting of eight bills to hold government accountable. The plan is part of our Minnesotans First agenda for the 2025 legislative session.

Senate Republicans’ comprehensive plan 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

  • SF 981: OLA recommendations on grant reform, including conflict of interest rules, background checks, and salary transparency
  • SF 1123: Increase oversight of grants, reporting and compliance requirements
  • SF 538: Grant Administrator and centralized grant database

Contact My Office

I want to hear from you, my constituents, on issues that are important to you. Please feel free to reach out to my office with any concerns or ideas you may have. You can contact my office at Sen.Cal.Bahr@mnsenate.gov or 651-296-3219.

 Choose Freedom,

Cal

Minnesota Senate, District 31