Legislative Update

Hello Friends and Neighbors,

The legislative session is continuing to move forward as committees meet daily to review legislation and hear from state agencies and community stakeholders. This week included important conversations about how we use taxpayer dollars, opportunities for students to gain real-world workforce experience, and ongoing discussions about education policy. I wanted to share a few highlights from the work happening at the Capitol.

Using Taxpayer Dollars More Effectively

During a committee hearing this week, I raised an issue I hear about frequently from constituents: what happened to the $18 billion surplus Minnesota had just a few years ago?

Too often at the Capitol, success is measured by how much money gets sent out the door instead of whether those dollars are actually producing results. While many programs are created with good intentions, it is the Legislature’s responsibility to evaluate whether those investments are actually working.

If we are serious about addressing fraud, waste, and abuse in government, we need stronger oversight and better data on how taxpayer dollars are being spent. Minnesotans deserve transparency and accountability when it comes to their tax dollars.

In the clip below, I discuss why evaluating the effectiveness of state spending needs to be a bigger priority moving forward.

Addressing Classroom Discipline

Another issue I continue to hear about from educators across Minnesota is the growing challenge of classroom behavior.

Teachers and school leaders have been reaching out to describe situations where they lack the tools needed to effectively address disruptive behavior in the classroom. In some cases, educators are struggling to deter students from repeatedly disrupting class, harming other students, or even putting themselves at risk.

As someone who works in a school every day as a middle school principal, I know how important it is to maintain a classroom environment where both students and teachers feel safe and supported.

Last session, we worked hard to include provisions in the Education Finance bill that would have given teachers clearer authority and additional tools to manage classroom behavior and maintain safe learning environments. I also offered an amendment on the House floor that would have restored some common sense flexibility for school administrators when dealing with serious behavioral incidents.

Unfortunately, those provisions faced strong opposition from House Democrats and were ultimately removed from the final bill.

This year, we need to deliver a solution. This is about supporting educators, but it is also about protecting the learning environment for every student who comes to school ready to learn.

Schools should have the ability to set clear expectations for behavior and respond appropriately when those expectations are not met. When a classroom becomes unsafe or repeatedly disrupted, it impacts every student who is trying to focus and learn.

Minnesota’s educators deserve policies that support them, not policies that tie their hands.

You can watch a short clip below from last session where I spoke on the House floor about this amendment and the importance of restoring common sense discipline tools for our schools.

Education Finance Committee: MDE Budget Review

During Tuesday’s Education Finance Committee, members heard from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) as we reviewed the department’s budget and staffing levels.

What stood out during the hearing was the contrast between what is happening at the state level and what many school districts are experiencing locally. Over the last biennium, the Department of Education’s budget and staffing levels have grown significantly, while many school districts across Minnesota are being forced to make difficult decisions.

Across the state, districts are cutting programs, reducing staff, and laying off employees as they try to balance their budgets and continue serving students.

While at my job as a middle school principal, it’s obvious the challenges educators and administrators are facing. When districts are being asked to tighten their belts, it raises an important question about priorities.

Education funding should be focused on students, classrooms, and the teachers doing the work every day, not continued growth in bureaucracy.

We should continue to focus our attention on providing Funding Flexibility, Mandate Relief, and Local Control so schools can thrive. We CAN get Minnesota’s education system back in order if we listen to the teachers, administrators, and staff who know best how address their problems rather than politicians writing legislation miles away in St. Paul. 

Concerns with the Redacted Optum Fraud Report

Another issue that raised concerns this week is the Optum fraud report commissioned by the Governor’s administration.

The review analyzed roughly $9.4 billion in Medicaid claims across several high-risk programs and identified significant policy vulnerabilities, billing issues, and oversight gaps. According to the report summary, addressing some of these issues could potentially result in more than $1 billion in savings for taxpayers.

However, when the report was released publicly, large portions of it were heavily redacted, with entire sections blacked out, including key findings and policy recommendations that could help lawmakers understand where the weaknesses exist in these programs.

As we work our way through a legislative session where fraud prevention and oversight are major priorities, lawmakers have still not been provided access to a full, unredacted version of the report.

That creates a real challenge. If the Legislature is expected to fix problems in these programs, we need access to the information that explains what went wrong and how to prevent it from happening again.

You can see an example of the report in the photo below. And just to be clear, these are not classified intelligence briefings. This is the information the Legislature has been given to address fraud in Minnesota’s public programs.

I also recorded a short video discussing these concerns and why transparency is critical if we want to restore accountability and protect taxpayer dollars.

Fraud in Minnesota’s NEMT Program

Another issue we’ve been digging into at the Capitol is fraud within Minnesota’s Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) program. NEMT is designed to help individuals on Medical Assistance get to medical appointments when they don’t have reliable transportation.

Recent investigations have uncovered troubling schemes where rides were billed that never happened, mileage was inflated to increase reimbursements, and group rides were billed as if each passenger took a separate trip. In some cases, transportation providers, interpreters, and clinics worked together to bill Medicaid for services that were never delivered.

Cases like this are a reminder that when oversight is weak, taxpayer-funded programs become vulnerable to abuse. You can read more about one of these cases in the news article linked below.

Programs like NEMT serve an important purpose, but we must ensure they are operating with transparency and accountability so they remain sustainable for the Minnesotans who rely on them.

Link to KSTP’s coverage on this: Minnesota DHS reveals new details investigations into NEMT providers – KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News

Former State Auditor and Current Representative Patti Anderson Breaks it Down:

Meeting with Constituents, Educators, and Community Leaders

It was a busy week balancing my work as a middle school principal with legislative responsibilities at the Capitol. I appreciated the opportunity to connect with many constituents, students, educators, and community leaders who took time to share their ideas and perspectives.

Throughout the week I participated in a leadership panel at River Valley Church in Shakopee, served breakfast at Jordan Public Schools during National School Breakfast Week, and spent time in both the Labor and Workforce Committee and chairing the Education Finance Committee, where we reviewed the budgets and staffing levels for the Minnesota Department of Education and the Perpich Center for Arts Education. I also toured Summit Academy OIC, met with Region 2 superintendents, and joined SAFF (Schools Advocating for Fair Funding) to discuss the priorities facing school districts across Minnesota.

In addition, I had the chance to meet with a wide range of organizations and constituents including Scott County FFA students, Minnesota Private Colleges regarding the state grant shortfall, Citizens for the Arts, advocates for arts programming, members of the Academy of Physician Associates, nursing leaders discussing healthcare priorities, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and local leaders from Scott County. I also enjoyed reconnecting with a former student who is now a pastor and part of the Church Ambassador Network through the Minnesota Family Council, and participating in discussions focused on youth civic engagement and workforce development.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to visit, share ideas, and discuss the issues impacting our communities. These conversations are an important part of the legislative process and help ensure local voices are heard at the Capitol.

Thank You for Staying Connected

As always, I appreciate hearing from people across the district. The perspectives of parents, educators, business owners, and community members help guide the work we do at the Capitol. If you have questions, concerns, or ideas you would like to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. It is an honor to serve you at the Minnesota House.

Please Contact Me

Please continue to reach out if I can be of any assistance to you. You can reach me by phone at 651-296-5185 or by email at rep.ben.bakeberg@house.mn.gov. 

Have a great weekend!