Today the Minnesota Senate passed an updated version of the bill to establish an Office of Inspector General 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.  

“Today’s vote is the culmination of two years of work to address a core expectation of government: that taxpayer money isn’t stolen, wasted, or abused,” Senator Michael Kreun (R- Blaine), Chief Republican Author of the OIG bill, said. “It also sends a clear signal to those seeking to steal from the taxpayers that we are not going to let this happen, we will prosecute these crimes, and we will change the culture of state government.” 

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