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.

Senator Mark Koran (R–North Branch) released the following statement:

“The Walz administration has resisted any form of accountability for seven years while taxpayers have had billions of dollars stolen,” said Sen. Koran. “The OIG will bring desperately needed accountability to the Walz administration’s legacy of fraud and, more importantly, protect taxpayer dollars and the programs that Minnesotans rely on. This will allow us to continue taking care of the Minnesotans who need it most. This is a huge win for Minnesota taxpayers.”

Sen. Koran first called for an independent Office of Inspector General in 2019 at the start of the Minnesota Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) fraud scandal.

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