I, State Rep. Shane Mekeland, R-Clear Lake, say state agencies are on notice after yet another non-partisan audit revealed serious mismanagement and lost taxpayer revenue in Minnesota.

This time, a report issued Tuesday by the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor indicates the Department of Human Services did not comply with the significant finance-related legal requirements, has not attempted to recover substantial overpayments totaling more than $40 million to Medical Assistance providers, and has not accurately reported its accounts receivable balance to Minnesota Management and Budget for inclusion in the state’s financial statements since 2019.

We all know Democrat control of St. Paul resulted in reckless spending increase, unnecessary tax increases and broken promises the last two years. Unfortunately, that’s not the end of it, with the total lack of accountability and sloppy accounting one-party control allowed to take place in state agencies becoming clearer every day.

House Republicans are sending formal letters to all 25 state agency commissioners, requesting detailed information on department expenditures, potential areas for cost savings, how to increase efficiencies, and areas for budget reductions within their agencies. This is the first step in House Republicans’ efforts to rein in out-of-control spending and stabilize Minnesota’s long-term budget outlook.

Republicans will focus on bringing new accountability to state government this session – including basic accounting. We will demand more from our agencies because we cannot continue letting taxpayer dollars fall victim to unchecked government waste. It’s sad we even have to say that because it is the bare minimum Minnesotans deserve.

This audit is just the latest in a series of reports that reveal rampant fraud and waste in Minnesota departments and programs, from Feeding our Future to childcare assistance, frontline worker pay, and DHS and the Department of Education, costing Minnesota taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

The full OLA audit regarding DHS mismanagement is available at https://www.auditor.leg.state.mn.us/.