Legislative Update from Rep. Kristin Robbins

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February 28, 2025

Executive Summary

• Fraud Committee Update

• Stopping the Blue Line Light Rail Extension

• Update on HF 21: The "Never Again" Bill

• Prioritizing Safety and Parental Rights in Education

• Photos

Fraud Committee Update

On Monday, the Fraud Prevention and Agency Oversight Committee met to continue our mission of eliminating existing fraud and preventing future fraud in state government. The committee heard testimony from Department of Human Services (DHS) Acting Commissioner Shireen Gandhi, who attempted to defend the agency’s handling of fraud within the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)—but left many critical questions unanswered.

Key takeaways from the hearing:

• Minnesota continues to struggle with CCAP fraud — Since 2020, the state has paid out over $1.2 billion in CCAP funds, and has only recovered $2.4 million. This is not necessarily money returned to the state – it is often just reductions in payments that they count as “recovered” since it was not paid out. This recovery rate seems low, based on our Committee’s examination of just the CCAP providers that received over $1 million from the state in 2024.
• Failure to stop payments when fraud is suspected — DHS could not clearly answer how many fraudulent cases resulted in payments being stopped or how many led to criminal charges. Even when payments were halted, the agency admitted that many childcare providers continued operating – licenses were not suspended or revoked.
• Weak oversight and enforcement—Commissioner Gandhi stated that DHS lacks authority under current law to prohibit kickbacks, even though such a practice is illegal under federal law.

I found this argument rather stunning. DHS already has authority to suspend payments if “credible fraud” is suspected. It seems that evidence of kickbacks would also be evidence of credible fraud, so I don’t understand why that is not enough to stop payments.

I am certainly happy to work on strengthening the state law so we can also charge/prosecute specifically for kickbacks, but I think they could still use existing authority to stop payments if kickbacks have been found to occur.

• Lack of transparency and accountability—Despite past recommendations from the Legislative Auditor, DHS still has no clear process for identifying when a childcare provider should have their license suspended or revoked due to violations. Some providers with dozens of serious violations continue to receive state funding and operate with full licensure.

These findings reinforce what many of us have been saying for years—DHS has a systemic problem with lack of oversight and mismanagement.

My colleagues and I will be pushing for stronger fraud prevention measures, greater transparency, and stricter enforcement mechanisms to stop bad actors from abusing our system, which drives up childcare costs for everyone.

Stopping the Blue Line Light Rail Extension

This week, the Minnesota House heard my bill, HF 14, which would place a moratorium on additional spending for light rail projects until the troubled Southwest Light Rail project is operational. This would effectively halt the Blue Line Extension until we know that SW Light Rail, which has already more than doubled in cost and is 9 years late, is actually running.

As a reminder, SW Light Rail was originally supposed to open in 2018 at a cost of $1.25 billion for 14.5 miles of track. It is now projected to cost $2.9 billion and is optimistically supposed to open in 2027.

This is a common sense safeguard against yet another costly and mismanaged transit project that threatens to drain taxpayer dollars while wreaking havoc on local businesses and communities.

We have already spent $160 million on the Blue Line Extension not an inch of track has been laid. The Blue Line Extension was originally supposed to cost $999 million for 13.4 miles and open in 2022. It is now projected to cost $3.2 billion and open in 2030.

Before the floor debate I held a press conference with business and community leaders from the communities along the Blue Line Extension Corridor, which runs from North Minneapolis to Brooklyn Park. Business owners along West Broadway or from Robbinsdale and Crystal all spoke about the cost to their businesses if they are shut down for 6 years – most will not survive and will lose their life’s savings invested in their businesses. Community leaders and parents spoke about all of the housing that will be torn down, safety concerns about kids having to cross the tracks to get to parks or the YMCA, and how the community will be bifurcated, as was done to Rondo many years ago. I am so grateful for all of these leaders who came to the Capitol! They have felt like their voices have been ignored for years and they finally were able to tell their own stories to the press and the public. Despite what advocates say, there is NOT strong support for this project in the communities along the corridor. As everyone knows, transit ridership is still down more than 40% since the pandemic. Work and commuting habits have changed and there may never be thousands of people commuting to downtown Minneapolis again. Rather than continuing to push for an outdated mode of transit, the Met Council and the County should instead support Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in this corridor. Bus Rapid transit is far less disruptive to the community and provides the flexibility necessary to change routes to meet changing economic and worker needs. Indeed, Bus Rapid Transit is working well in other areas. Just this week the Met Council announced that the Gold Line (to Woodbury) will open a month early and on-budget! A new BRT line is also under development along Hwy 55 from Plymouth to Minneapolis. Estimates project that a BRT line in the Blue Line Extension corridor would cost less than 10% of the cost of light rail ($250-$270 million) and take only two years to build. Given that the current projections put the Blue Line Light Rail Extension at $222/mile, it seems foolhardy to not take the more cost effective and flexible option! Although HF 14 had a majority of the votes, 67-66, we need 68 votes to pass something off the House Floor, so the bill was tabled. I am glad it is still “alive” and I’ll keep working to get it passed this session. You can see my floor speech here.

Update on HF 21: The "Never Again" Bill

My bill to end the Governor’s unlimited emergency powers also came to the House Floor this week. HF 21, also known as the "Never Again" bill, would allow the Governor to declare an emergency but the emergency declaration would automatically expire after 14 days unless a super-majority of 3/5 of both the House and Senate voted to extend it.

Under current law, as we all remember, the Governor can declare an emergency and it doesn’t end unless a majority votes to end it. HF 21 restores the balance of power between the Executive and Legislative branches of government: the Governor can declare an emergency but only the Legislature can continue it.

During the 16-month covid emergency (March 2020 – July 2021), we all saw first-hand the consequences of unchecked emergency powers. Families were devasted as loved ones died alone and they were not allowed to gather or go to church. Business owners and employees lost their livelihoods and many closed permanently. Student learning erode and many struggled with mental health challenges as they were not able to see their friends, play sports or have important milestones like graduation or prom.

We are still dealing with the impacts of the emergency powers 3 years later – persistent inflation, less than 50% of kids being able to read or do math at grade level, lost wages and job skills, etc.

Despite these well-documented hardships, House Democrats refused to support the bill, preferring to preserve Gov. Walz’s unchecked emergency power rather than bring legislative oversight to the process as a co-equal branch of government.

Minnesotans deserve a system where emergency powers are temporary, balanced, and accountable to the people—not one where a governor can unilaterally govern by executive order for 16 months. House Republicans remain committed to advancing this critical reform to ensure that no future governor can again wield emergency powers without meaningful legislative checks and balances.

My speech can be viewed here.

Prioritizing Safety and Parental Rights in Education

House Republicans are continuing to fight for students, parents, and school staff with two key education bills aimed at enhancing school safety and strengthening parental rights. The Safe Haven In Every Local District (SHIELD) Act, HF15, focuses on improving school security by requiring every school district to integrate safety measures into their long-term facility maintenance plans.

I am a coauthor of this bill, which establishes grants to help schools fund critical security upgrades, such as bullet-resistant doors and windows, emergency communication systems, and lockdown mechanisms to protect students and staff from potential threats. The SHIELD Act acknowledges the growing concerns over school safety and provides schools with the tools they need to prevent and respond to emergencies effectively.

Ensuring that parents remain active participants in their children’s education is another top priority. The Parent’s Bill of Rights, HF 22,  affirms the fundamental role of parents in directing their child’s education, medical decisions, and moral upbringing. The bill explicitly prohibits government entities from interfering in these rights without demonstrating a compelling need and ensures that parents have full access to their child’s school and medical records. At a time when some schools have sought to withhold information from parents regarding curriculum, health care decisions, or even gender identity discussions, this legislation would reinforce transparency and parental authority. The bill also establishes consequences for government employees who attempt to coerce children into withholding information from their parents, ensuring that families, not bureaucrats, remain at the center of decision-making for minors.

Both bills were heard in Committees this week and I hope they will get bipartisan support on the House Floor.

Photos

So fun to have the Rockford Area Schools Rockford FFA & Ag Education Program in Tax Committee at the Capitol today! Thanks for coming to St. Paul for Youth Day on the Hill!

Got to meet with a terrific group of nurses from Maple Grove for the Minnesota Nurses Association Day on the Hill! Thanks for the great conversation!

Please Contact Me

Many of you have already been in touch to discuss your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you. Thank you for sharing your ideas! Please continue to contact me to discuss any matters to which I can be of assistance.

The best way to reach me is by email: rep.kristin.robbins@house.mn.gov. For occasional updates, you can follow my Facebook Page at @RepKristinRobbins. You can also leave a voicemail on my office number, 651-296-7806, which is checked every weekday while we are in session.

Of course, if you are coming to the Capitol, I’d love to meet you! Please reach out if you would like to set-up an in-person meeting. 

Have a great weekend!

Kristin

239 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
ph: 651.296.7806