Friends and neighbors,

This week marked the Minnesota Legislature’s first and second committee deadlines. Each year, lawmakers introduce thousands of bills, but far fewer receive enough support to become law. Deadlines are in place to ensure bills are moving through the legislative process, with enough time for adequate public debate and input. But if the 2023 session is any indicator, I worry the majority will continue to rush legislation without proper vetting.

This session, I introduced a number of bills focused on addressing the needs of constituents and our communities. I would like to highlight one of these proposals, SF 4274, which was heard this week in the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.

A constituent, Joanna Meyer, from Howard Lake brought the bill idea to me and Representative Joe McDonald. During her testimony, Meyer shared how two companies fraudulently filed her home address as their business address. For months, she has been working with the Secretary of State to get this resolved but to no avail. After speaking with several state and local agencies, she learned that there are currently no procedures in place to fix this issue.

Therefore, my legislation would provide a means for the true owner of a property/address to file an affidavit with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office and remove the fraudulent address. The affidavit must contain evidence that the true owner is lawfully occupying the address, and a statement that the business entity is not authorized to use the address. This would help prevent situations like my constituent is currently dealing with.

In a letter sent to the Judiciary Committee, the Secretary of State’s Office shared that this is an issue they have been working on for quite some time. They also highlighted areas of my proposed legislation they would like to see improved to ensure it works properly. Therefore, my bill will not move forward this legislative session, but I am committed to working with the Secretary of State’s Office to craft language to address this fraud.

Contact My Office

Please feel free to reach out to my office with any concerns or ideas you may have. I will keep your thoughts and concerns in mind as legislation comes before me. You can contact my office at sen.bruce.anderson@mnsenate.gov or 651-296-5981.

Sincerely,

Bruce Anderson