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Dear Neighbor,
The House passed a major Republican priority bill yesterday to help crack down on fraud in our state. Here is a look at that positive breakthrough and more from the Capitol as our May 17 deadline to adjourn creeps closer:
Anti-fraud bill
The House on Thursday approved a bill to create an Office of the Inspector General that would operate independently with future law enforcement authority. This is an important step toward providing more transparency and accountability in state government as a way to address fraud that has cost state taxpayers $9 billion or more by some estimates.
For the OIG to work, it must be independent and have real law enforcement authority, something existing agencies don’t have. It cannot be under the thumb of the governor’s office. It needs to be free from politics and able to hold people accountable. State employees should know there are consequences for allowing fraud to happen, whether by negligence or intent. House Republicans held strong, and in the end, House Democrats finally ran out of excuses and got on board with the bill.
Through the bill (S.F. 856), the OIG is responsible for investigating state agencies, grant recipients, and contractors with subpoena power and the authority to freeze or stop distribution of funds under court order. The OIG also would be housed in the executive branch due to constitutionality concerns, and to permit the office to have law enforcement authority.
I thank all the workers at the state, local, county levels who have stepped forward and spoke truth into deaf ears for a long, long time. The days of sweeping Minnesota's massive fraud problem under the rug are coming to an end. This new Office of the Inspector General will be able to take real action to hold people accountable and let us begin to get a grip on the fraud that's ripped through our state. More work needs to be done, but this is an important step forward.
This bill is now in the hands of the Senate to approve and send to the governor for enactment.
Senate passes anti-2A bill
The Senate this week passed an anti-Second Amendment bill (S.F. 4067) on a 34-33 vote with all Democrats in support and all Republicans against the measure.
It’s among the most radical anti-gun agendas in the nation, banning most semi-automatic rifles, pistols, and shotguns based on a single common feature and outlawing every magazine that holds more than 17 rounds. It also forces every existing owner to register their firearms and magazines with the BCA and renew every three years, with felony penalties for failing to comply. It also re-enacts the binary trigger ban retroactively to Jan. 1, 2025.
And these are just some of the provisions that would do more to make criminals out of law-abiding citizens than get to the root of violent crime. It’s as if Twin Cities liberals think that if you disarm good people, bad people won't have guns.
We need to stand up for our Second Amendment rights and House Republicans are prepared to do so if/when this bill comes to our body for a vote. This bill represents one of the most radical anti-gun agendas in the nation and I think our Supreme Court would agree these firearms and magazines are clearly protected by both the U.S. Constitution and the Minnesota Constitution.
Climate Superfund bill
The Democrats’ Climate Superfund bill (HF3945) may come to the House floor for a vote during the final week of session. This is a bad bill that would be more accurately named the “Consumers Pay More” bill because it exposes energy producers and the public to massive dollars in new liability – retroactively – with an estimated household impact of $7,000 per year. It would increase gas prices, electric bills, grocery prices, and transportation costs – driving up the cost of pretty much everything.
House Republicans will continue working to protect taxpayers, workers and families by blocking this new energy tax and anything else Democrats may try to pass to the detriment of Minnesotans.
But this bill, the anti-Second Amendment bill and other radical proposals should be a clue to Minnesotans as to what to expect if Democrats were to get another trifecta.
Look for more from the House as we make our way to adjournment. Time will tell if this session wraps up with a flurry of activity, or if progress on important issues is stonewalled by Twin Cities liberals clinging to their radical agenda.
Sincerely,
Chris
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