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Good morning!
We have officially passed our third and final committee deadline, which was at 5pm last Friday. A lot of our work has shifted to the House floor, where we are debating many more bills than usual - over 30 just this week. The bills that are making it to the House floor are bipartisan, having passed out of committees with support from both sides of the aisle. I am grateful for the work we have been able to accomplish on these bills that most of us agree on, but we will not let up on the other commonsense measures that Minnesotans are asking for. From fraud to tax relief, the DFL is continuing to stand in the way of passing many popular, nonpartisan bills for whatever reason. I will continue to fight for the great people of District 12B and the state of Minnesota!
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Continuing the Work on Fraud
Fraud continues to be a major focus at the Capitol, and this week made the contrast clear. On the House floor, Republicans offered the Fraud Isn’t Free Act as an amendment to strengthen oversight and make sure there are real consequences when fraud is suspected. The proposal would have required state agencies to act when red flags show up and held employees accountable in cases of clear negligence or misconduct. These are basic, common-sense expectations when it comes to protecting taxpayer dollars, especially after the repeated fraud scandals we have seen across state programs. House Democrats voted it down, passing up a chance to put stronger guardrails in place and send a clear message that fraud will be taken seriously.
 At the same time, there has been some progress where there is agreement. HF 4425 passed off the House floor on Monday with bipartisan support and takes a practical step forward by extending the statute of limitations for key fraud crimes from six years to ten years. That matters because these cases often take years to uncover, and under current law, bad actors can escape accountability simply by running out the clock. As legislators, we do not prosecute these cases ourselves, but we do decide whether law enforcement has the tools they need, and this bill helps make sure they do.
We are also continuing to push for stronger accountability through HF 4950, the “Take It Back Act,” which is still moving through the process and could come up on the floor later this session. This bill focuses on making sure stolen taxpayer dollars are actually recovered by creating a 100% tax on funds obtained through fraud for those who are convicted, on top of any restitution already ordered. The idea is simple: if you steal from taxpayers, you should not get to keep any of it. Fraud is not a victimless issue. It drives up costs, takes resources away from seniors and families, and erodes trust in government. While Democrats have been willing to support some steps like extending the statute of limitations, they have also blocked stronger accountability measures. We will keep pushing to close those gaps and make sure fraud is taken seriously at every level.
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Constituents at the Capitol
I am very grateful for the commitment and dedication of these community leaders who came to the Capitol this week to testify in support of a few local projects. It is very important to hear from local stakeholders about the impact of these projects, and I am thankful to have these community partnerships.
HF 4008 – Alexandria
HF 4497 – Sauk Centre
HF 3847 – Douglas County
 Shoutouts
Shoutout to the Osakis FFA Chapter on their performance this year, recently wrapping up at the state convention. There were many accomplishments by individuals in the group, which you can read about here. Congratulations!
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Please Contact Me
If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding any issue related to state government, please feel free to contact me at either 651-296-3201 or rep.mary.franson@house.mn.gov I would love to hear from you.
It’s an honor to represent the best!
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