Good morning. Those temps, they’re going up, up, up. It’s our moment. You know together we're glowin'. Gonna be, gonna be golden. (The earworm is on us!)

It’s not a budget year but that doesn’t mean the state budget won’t get tinkered with. The last budget plan Gov. Tim Walz will issue in his two terms has several proposals that will likely sail through and several that will stall at the Legislature’s doorstep. Officer of the Inspector General creation? That ticket will almost certainly get punched. Social media tax? A talker that likely will run into resistance. Capitol security funding? Good chance. Firearms and ammunition tax? A tough sell. The proposal that Walz put on the table won’t be subject to one up-or-down vote so lawmakers will do plenty of picking and choosing. The viable proposals will quickly get separated from those that are there largely as a negotiation point. Dana Ferguson goes through some of the proposals here.

A new audit says the Department of Human Services didn’t fully use its investigative powers when some complaints were filed around an autism services program. The report from the Office of Legislative Auditor looked at how DHS’s office of inspector general responded to 25 complaints about the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention program, which provides services for people under age 21 with autism spectrum disorder. The program has been a target of fraudsters, several of whom have been charged. The report found that DHS believed it did not have the authority to investigate some complaints, or withhold funds. The audit recommends that DHS and the Legislature make changes to ensure and clear up that authority for the agency. Lawmakers in both parties have introduced several bills this session aimed at granting more oversight, more preventative measures and technology updates they say can stop fraud. Sen. Michael Kreun, R-Blaine, said the report shows the clear need for independent oversight. “That reinforces the need for our Office of Inspector General bill. That situation would have been handled considerably different and more effective had our statewide, independent Office of Inspector General been in place when those instances happened,” he said. The legislative auditor is starting a new report looking more broadly how the DHS OIG has responded to complaints across the agency.

State legislators are considering a bill that would require school boards to adopt safety policies aimed at preventing safety incidents including school shootings. The bill would require the state's Department of Public Safety to draft a model plan. School districts would then submit their own versions for approval from that office. Bill sponsor Sen. Bonnie Westlin, DFL-Plymouth, talked about the bill in the Senate Education Finance Committee Tuesday: “What this is is to provide resources and assistance to schools, especially some of our smaller districts or smaller schools that may not have capacity. These are issues that districts struggle with, and to be able to provide them with a resource that will be helpful to them, in order to keep our school safe for our kids is an important thing.” Westlin said the cost of the bill is still being determined. It heads next to the Senate’s judiciary and finance committee. 

Lawmakers in the tied Minnesota House of Representatives are considering shaking up the number of state legislators to avoid future ties. The House State Government Committee discussed a bill to add another member — taking the House to 135. The proposal would reduce the number of state senators to 45 from the current 67. Republican Representative Paul Torkelson says ties are recipes for problems. Last year, House Democrats boycotted for weeks as Republicans refused to certify one of their members. "Why on earth would we do this? The fact is, the Minnesota House has been tied twice since it was reduced from 135 to 134 in the early 70s, and both times, we very nearly had a crisis." The bill was laid over for consideration later. It would need bipartisan support and backing from both chambers to pass. While members of the House committee relished the idea of having fewer senators at the Capitol, their Senate colleagues might not join in on the effort to shrink their ranks.

Two Republican members of the House announced this week that this year will be their last in the chamber. Reps. Paul Novotny and Patti Anderson announced their plans to retire. That means the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee will have new leadership next year. Novotny co-chairs the panel with DFL Rep. Kelly Moller, who has also announced she is stepping down after this term. Anderson is a former state auditor and has helped lead the House Fraud Prevention and Agency Oversight Committee. The lawmakers join 21 others who are retiring after this year. Eighteen others are vying for other offices.

 

A series of bills aim to fix unintended barriers for Minnesota's hemp and cannabis industries. Proposed changes include establishing clear standards for labels on cannabis and hemp products and streamlining reporting practices for Minnesota's cannabis agency. A notable bill would lift a prohibition on having both a hemp and cannabis business license. Sen. Scott Dibble of Minneapolis says his bill targets "impractical requirements" that are holding back business. “It reflects the real world experience from the rollout of licensing and product regulation,” said Dibble. “And it's an attempt to respond directly to concerns raised by businesses, regulators and stakeholders from across Minnesota to modernize licensing rules, improving labeling requirements and reduce some burdens on small businesses.” Several elements have gotten initial consideration but final votes are weeks or maybe even months away.

Some Minnesota lawmakers are backing a bill that would address rising organized crime in the state. The proposed legislation would create an advisory board to develop protocols for investigating retail theft enterprises. Police agencies across Minnesota are combatting sophisticated criminal enterprises that are hitting retail stores and supply chains across multiple jurisdictions. Bruce Nustad is the president of the Minnesota Retailers Association and says the board would focus on gaps in law enforcement. "It brings together law enforcement, prosecutors, labor, industry stakeholders to share information and support stronger investigations against enterprise level crime units,” he said. “This is really a practical and scalable solution. It focuses on better coordination, first connecting the dots and then building strong enforcement over time.” Lawmakers supporting the bill say they hope it can help stop organized retail crimes that often operate nationally.