Last fall, Wright County announced its plan to transition from state-supervised probation to a county-supervised program. This move saves taxpayers money and improves public safety.

Unfortunately, the state Department of Corrections dragged its feet on approving the plan, arguing it shouldn't have to pay out earned benefits to former state employees who would soon become county employees.

I've been fighting Governor Walz's DOC Commissioner, Paul Schnell, on this issue since I was elected. This week, I presented a bipartisan bill that clarifies in statute that the state is responsible for paying out benefits that employees earned while working for the state, not the county they transition to.

This would directly help Wright County and support all Minnesota counties in the future that choose local control over probation.

I was glad to have Wright County's support at the committee hearing. We're still working with stakeholders on the bill, but the hearing was an important step toward restoring local control for Wright County and ensuring employees are treated fairly.

I will not let Gov. Walz and his commissioner block Wright County from doing what's best for our community. Read more about it below.

To keep you in the loop on timing, here are the key upcoming deadlines.

Next Friday marks the first and second deadlines for bills. This is the cutoff for committees in one house (House or Senate) to approve a bill or its companion bill that has already passed the first deadline in the other house.

The third deadline (April 17) is the later cutoff for committees to approve money bills or major budget and finance bills that spend or raise state money (education funding, health care, roads, taxes, etc.).

Thanks for reading and for your continued support,
Michael 

County-administered probation programs deliver better outcomes for probationers, save taxpayers money, and most importantly, improve public safety for our communities. This bill removes bureaucratic red tape so counties can focus on keeping Minnesotans safe instead of fighting the state over paperwork.

Last year, Wright County submitted a comprehensive plan to transition to a county-run probation system but was delayed when the DOC argued that the county pay for benefits employees had earned while working for the state.

Wright County Commissioner Kirby Moynagh spoke out over the issue last year.

“Aside from being ethically questionable, when does a state government department get the authority to try to extort money out of a county?” said Moynagh. “If one of our employees went somewhere else, we wouldn’t expect that person’s new employer to pay our employee’s contractual obligations. Nobody does that because it is absurd at several levels.”

The bill was laid over in the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee. 

Seven testifiers supported it. Only Education Minnesota opposed. Remember that the next time they claim to put students first. 

In 2025, Minnesota hunters donated 13,883 pounds of venison from 403 deer to food banks, food shelves, and feeding programs, an amount that exceeded 2024 donations by more than 50%.

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Originally created during the eight-year term of Gov. Mark Dayton, Center of the American Experiment’s Scandal Tracker was reopened to account for the ever-growing list of frauds and scandals perpetuated under the Tim Walz administration.

Your one-stop resource for everything related to state government fraud in Minnesota 

In Liberty, 

Michael 

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Hearing from constituents helps make me a better legislator. Never hesitate to reach out if you have a question or concern. I can be reached via email at sen.michael.holmstrom@mnsenate.gov or at 651-296-5981.

My legislative assistant, Zachary Queensland, is also a great resource for information. He can be reached at zachary.queensland@mnsenate.gov or at 651-296-0769.