Legislative UpdateDemocrats brought a lawsuit to the Minnesota Supreme Court regarding what number constitutes quorum. The court ruled we need 68 to organize the House, we only have 67 Republicans and because Democrats refuse to show up to work, they have caused a shutdown of the entire House of Representatives. But, that is not stopping House Republicans from doing the people’s work. The first three weeks of this session have been as busy as ever for House Republicans. Even though the Supreme Court put official committee work on hold, House Republicans have formed working groups to tackle the issues. This allows us to receive testimony and discuss legislation during the House Democrat shutdown and have a head start whenever they finally show up for work. I have meetings all day long in St. Paul – and I wouldn’t have it any other way. House Republicans are at the Capitol, every single day, doing the work people that our state expect and deserve. We will not allow House Democrats to sabotage our efforts as they collect paychecks, with the combined tab reportedly running near $200,000 so far … and counting. Here's the latest: Fraud Prevention Working Group  Above image courtesy Center for the American Experiment I was selected to serve a new Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee for this biennium and there’s no shortage of work for us. Fraud is an extensive problem in our state agencies, with one report after another surfacing. Center for the American Experiment has created a State of Minnesota Scandal Tracker to keep a running tally of taxpayer fraud in our state since 2019, now estimated to be $610 million. Most recently, a KSTP report revealed disturbing revelations regarding the state Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). Some of the top recipients of CCAP funds reportedly were cited for dozens of licensing violations while receiving millions in state funds, including one that had their conditional license status lifted in 2024. The KSTP report also raised concerns that some of the state's largest CCAP recipients may be committing fraud. Reporter Jay Kolls showed up, in person, multiple times, to empty "daycare centers." Yet, these "daycare centers" are some of the highest users of your tax dollars (CCAP funds). Sounds like a scam to me, with a whopping 62 investigations reportedly underway involving Minnesota child-care centers. Then there’s the new KARE 11 report, which “exposes tens of millions of dollars in questionable Medicaid billing, kickback allegations and executive enrichment.” This is a case where it’s hard to tell where the alleged fraud ends, and lax state oversight begins. KARE 11 indicates an addiction treatment nonprofit may have exploited state laws to increase billable hours, costing Minnesota taxpayers millions of dollars. Meanwhile, the nonprofit argues the Minnesota Department of Human Services gave treatment providers unclear billing instructions and they broke no rules, which suggests lax oversight and sloppy state law come into play. Regardless of how it’s happening, these are just the latest high-profile examples of how criminals have been able to run rampant with the Walz administration and fellow Democrats turning a blind eye. Thank you to Jay Kolls and A.J. Lagoe for their investigative reporting on these stories. Their efforts to expose fraud is instrumental in raising public awareness and affecting change to serve the people of Minnesota. Thank you also to Joe Soucheray and the folks at Garage Logic for having me on that podcast to discuss fraud in Minnesota – and more. Expect more to come on these fraud scams the Walz Administration allowed to happen. House Republicans will continue to do the work. We will continue to dig and likely uncover more massive fraud. We are connecting with whistle-blowers, who are coming out of the woodwork. We already have received many credible fraud tips, and they just keep on coming. Committee members are dividing up the tips to make sure we give each tip its due diligence. A website soon will be available for citizens to file reports of suspected fraud, and I will share information about that portal once it is available. For now, tips can be emailed to Chair Kristin Robbins (Rep.Kristin.Robbins@house.mn.gov) or me (Rep.Marion.Rarick@house.mn.gov) so we can take a look through our committee. This is legislative oversight at it’s best; it’s what the Legislature is mean to do! Higher Education Finance and Policy Working Group As Chair of the Higher Education Committee in the House, I have been leading a working group with all the Republican committee members. We are going through every single line item and account under our jurisdiction. We will also be reviewing itemized budgets for our state colleges and universities, and the University of Minnesota systems. We are asking tough questions about each expenditure, analyzing the return on taxpayer investments, and determining if each expenditure aligns with our core mission. I look forward to upcoming meetings with representatives from MN State and the U of M. The governor recently barred the Office of Higher Education from meeting with our working group, but MN State and the U of M are happy to come tell their story and explain their budget to the working group. I also continue meeting 1-on-1 with candidates to fill four U of M Regent vacancies this year. A field of 31 initial candidates has been reduced to a group of 14 finalists. I have enjoyed meeting with these candidates so I can make an informed decisions as we move toward electing four new Regents. My goal is to elect good governance Regents who take their constitutional oversight duties seriously. So far, very few actually fulfill this role. Sadly, good-governance Regents are not the Regents touted by the Democrats On a separate Higher Education note, it was a pleasure to recently meet with Vivian Dudley to hear how the Fostering Independence Grant (FIG) she received for her education has been beneficial. My husband, Sen. Jason Rarick, authored the bill that made this grant opportunity reality. Vivian has used the funding to complete her associate degree. Her guidance of, "never stop dreaming" to other foster students and her passion, as she continues her education with the goal of being a licensed social worker, is inspiring. FIG recipients were foster children, wards of the state, and are one of our most vulnerable populations. I am eager to do more to support FIG.  Vivian joined Sen. Jason Rarick, Ariana Chamoun, Interim Ex. Dir. for Foster Advocates and me for a quick photo after a Senate Higher Education hearing. |