Senator Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake), Chair of the Senate Health and Humans Services Committee released the following statement upon the resignation of Commissioner Tony Lourey:

“I want to thank Commissioner Lourey for his service to the state of Minnesota.

“Going forward, reform must be the top priority at DHS. Their technology is failing and costing too much. Their programs are filled with fraud and wasting taxpayers’ dollars. The new commissioner should examine DHS from the bottom up and prove they can meet basic benchmarks in their budget, program integrity, and technology.

“This is further proof of what Republicans have been saying since the Walz administration began promoting ONECare, his massive public healthcare program – DHS is simply not able to take on a project of that scope and size. It would be my recommendation that any future DHS commissioner focus on reform and accountability rather than new programs if they expect confirmation from the Senate.”