Today the Minnesota Senate passed an updated version of the bill to establish an Office of Inspector General (OIG) in response to the state’s fraud crisis. The Senate previously passed a version of the bill more than a year ago, however the Minnesota House only passed its version last week. Senator authors worked diligently with the House authors to craft a bipartisan agreement without sacrificing the office’s independence or its law enforcement capabilities.

Co-author Senator Rich Draheim (R–Madison Lake) released the following statement:

“Minnesotans deserve real accountability and the OIG will finally deliver that accountability while helping prevent future fraud,” said Sen. Draheim. “The people who rely on our social services programs can’t afford to have more money stolen from them. This is about protecting those who need help most, holding fraudsters accountable, and restoring trust in state government.”

The bill passed unanimously and is headed to Governor Tim Walz’s desk.