Senator Bruce Anderson: Holding government accountable to stop waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars

Friends and neighbors,

From the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) scandal to false Medicaid payments, it seems like every week there is new waste, fraud, and abuse of Minnesota taxpayer dollars. To date, Minnesota has lost more than $500 million to fraud. That is why Senate Republicans have unveiled a plan to address these issues and their root causes.

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 taxpayer dollars. The plan is part of our Minnesotans First agenda for the 2025 legislative session.

The plan features my legislation, SF 538, to create the position of Grant Administrator, responsible for managing the state’s grants. It also instructs the state to find or create a single grants database as a central hub for data. This would create a clearinghouse to identify whether fraudulent actors are stealing or abusing funds in more than one agency.

Bill List

Our complete 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

Find your missing money!

The State of Minnesota currently holds millions of dollars in unclaimed property. I invite you to take a moment to check—you may have unclaimed funds waiting for you!

For more information, visit http://mn.gov/commerce/money/unclaimed-property.

Contact Me

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.Bruce.Anderson@mnsenate.gov or 651-296-5981.

Sincerely,

Bruce Anderson