[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6324976,"mediaKeyId","2335189-88a0cc191f36a1547c57260b5885a359","parentId",2335189,"title","MMB presents governor's 2025 budget requests including oversight staffing, DCYF re‑appropriation and carry‑forward authority","audioSeconds",909,"startMs",56680,"endMs",965990,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2335189-88a0cc191f36a1547c57260b5885a359&start=56&end=965","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2335189-88a0cc191f36a1547c57260b5885a359/thumbnail_56680.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6324976/Minnesota/MMB-presents-governors-2025-budget-requests-including-oversight-staffing-DCYF-reappropriation-and-carryforward-authority","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324976-73221f72ec4f922320ba6d8341f8a8e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146711&Signature=iUh-UKg56nM~cpXOH~cS85k7tcOPElY~VlBJ02lqvF0mK1CeDpPqBNzFqhRJ4gUbT04KQGVbz~Vk~0d6l-GGBduZ6-8zk--8B-ClcfYfsTHALBWGvyghJdCndkD1XeImYgCQgYg75lg-TT2RlS5AiOxvIkw1v-CPr6F0Li9ln05FoRJFX5an5WthXlT5cmpO1mAT05CemMI0Dzn0LQQRU6o1vwYLgsFyeotOTUR7sgdPDSrBw4-Y3bwvVOGfCDSO9t7ZEHamHUvkBH90O0oc540yCoCy-AB9N8x4Y41asZT25ctzthsfSSUMQyVpjD3XJagNT8sIBnpnNt0uzw2syg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Minnesota Senate Media Services","date","2025-02-18T00:00:00Z","article","Erin Campbell, commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget, told the Senate Committee on State and Local Government on March 6 that the governor’s 2025 budget recommendation for MMB focuses on covering growing operating costs, strengthening oversight and providing flexibility to agencies facing future budget pressure.

\"At MMB, we serve as stewards of the state's financial and human resources,\" Campbell said, summarizing the agency’s role and the scope of its work. She and Deputy Commissioner Bridal Rayton walked senators through a package that includes operating adjustments, new internal controls staff, payroll compliance positions, and a proposal to permit agencies to carry non‑expended operating appropriations into the next biennium.

The package seeks additional staffing across several units: three full‑time positions for the internal control and accountability unit, four FTEs for statewide payroll services to address a recent Office of Legislative Auditor audit, two FTEs for enterprise labor relations and two for accounting services to revise statewide financial policies. Rayton said the payroll positions would support a certification program for payroll specialists and increase compliance reviews of agency payroll practices.

Campbell described the agency’s scale and recent performance data to frame requests: MMB employs about 360 staff, manages a $72 million operating budget that represents roughly 2% of the state resources it oversees, directly handles more than $3.4 billion annually (largely debt service), administers insurance for roughly 31,000 state employees and families, issues about 48,000 vendor payments weekly and processes 56,000 paychecks every other week. She said MMB helped the state maintain the highest bond ratings and that recent refinancing saved the state about $69 million.

The presentation included several specific budget transactions. MMB would cancel $8.5 million from its DCYF transition account in FY2025 and reappropriate $6 million to the Department of Children, Youth and Families for transition costs expected after the biennium; Deputy Commissioner Rayton said reappropriating funds directly to DCYF allows the state to draw down federal reimbursements and produces an estimated $4.42 million net general fund savings when federal participation is included. Rayton also described a one‑time reduction of $1.7 million to general fund resources intended to help address projected deficits in the 2028–29 biennium, and recommended eliminating a statutory transfer of $4.45 million per year from the general fund to a housing support special revenue account, which the administration said would save about $450,000 annually beginning in FY2025 because the transfer has not yet been programmed for a specified purpose.

Another administration proposal would allow agencies to uniformly carry forward unspent, non‑GRAMA operating appropriations for the second year of a biennium into the next biennium; MMB estimated that change would reduce forecasted general fund cancellations in the second year by about $15 million and provide agencies an additional tool to manage year‑to‑year cost pressures.

Senators pressed MMB officials on details. Senator Gustafson asked where the difference between the canceled and reappropriated DCYF funds would go; Rayton reiterated that reappropriating funds to DCYF enables federal reimbursement and explained the $4.42 million general fund savings figure. Multiple senators, including Senator Drazkowski and Senator Maquette, questioned whether expanding executive‑branch flexibility to carry funds forward would reduce legislative control over appropriations and whether the administration was seeking more authority to spend without corresponding authority to reduce spending. Commissioner Campbell responded that the carry‑forward proposal is an enterprise‑wide tool intended to provide flexibility across state agencies and that program reductions generally require legislative action.

Senators also asked how MMB is accounting for federal funding uncertainty when preparing forecasts. Campbell said the official forecast is based on current law and a range of macroeconomic indicators; she told the committee the March 6 forecast will incorporate available data but said the administration is particularly concerned about potential federal changes to entitlement programs such as Medicaid, which could present a significant budget risk if enacted and if timing places impact after the forecast but before final budget decisions.

Discussion at the hearing clarified several implementation and oversight details rather than producing a committee vote. No formal actions or legislative language were adopted during the meeting; committee members asked questions and MMB officials described the administration’s requests and rationale.

Looking ahead, MMB officials said they will work with the legislature on the proposals and provide additional details, including the forecast results and any updated federal developments, as the budget process continues.

Ending: The presentation closed with an acknowledgment of ongoing fiscal uncertainty and MMB officials’ request that the committee consider the administration’s proposals for additional oversight positions, the DCYF technical reappropriation and the carry‑forward authority as tools to manage state finances in the coming biennium.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee on State and Local Government - 02/18/25","oneSentenceSummary","Erin Campbell, commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget, told the Senate Committee on State and Local Government on March 6 that the governor’s 2025 budget recommendation for MMB focuses on covering growing operating costs, strengthening oversight and providing flexibility to agencies facing future budget pressure.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MN, Minnesota","taxId",77817,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6324966,"Governor’s anti‑fraud package: probe consolidation at BCA, new theft statute, DHS and MNIT data tools, and expanded grants debarment authority",2197,4774330,6972120,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2335189-88a0cc191f36a1547c57260b5885a359&start=4774&end=6972","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2335189-88a0cc191f36a1547c57260b5885a359/thumbnail_4774330.jpg","/articles/6324966/Minnesota/Governors-antifraud-package-probe-consolidation-at-BCA-new-theft-statute-DHS-and-MNIT-data-tools-and-expanded-grants-debarment-authority","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324966-d2b3de313ac063bff04e28654742ddd4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146711&Signature=K2VX-E4kuaIM14K1JobGnfyIMeSxq~yq-1sAIBWPS2BlNElJUeWzb-wRbOrus3JtjTpIsp7O-Sl~GOse2-GIAfPLYdpOv6b7wBnI5bwvP-paoKEYfGcoaOE5Oweph~H0J-h0n49HWGOOxq0lFKdhzPEDNbxoO7RbB1Er7TYxoEPRb3NHqS3ulT8yXn6SdfNrmhdTKb8tTZdbPouOGhhaTY3njdQnk10Zwsv67F6aRnhMhz9c9u17bPUuHjb8vA-3lEjjm7EngZKq1QXwk8a3sdvYkph0noi5cNTT2MIFdZU9EL8H8dtTToa8qgAxb8TPqGBRXJCpsj59ykQOem5Dhg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Minnesota officials outlined the governor’s proposed anti‑fraud package to the Senate Committee on State and Local Government, describing coordinated changes across agencies meant to detect, investigate and penalize fraud against state programs.

Erin Campbell, commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget, said the package rests on three categories: stronger investigative and enforcement authority, better detection and oversight, and increased criminal penalties. \"Fraud against these public programs is unacceptable. It is not a victimless crime and it harms the same people we're trying to help with these services,\" she told the committee.

Bureau of Criminal Apprehension: consolidation and capacity
Drew Evans, superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said an administrative reorganization has combined the Commerce Fraud Bureau’s investigators with BCA criminal investigators to form a single Financial Crimes and Fraud section. The reorganization groups insurance fraud, wage theft, auto theft and state‑program fraud investigators under a unified structure to reduce duplication and improve coordination. Evans said the BCA is requesting one forensic accountant to support complex financial record reviews and funding for two contracted assistant attorneys general to support prosecutions and provide feedback to agencies after investigations.

New theft of public funds statute and penalties
Evans and other presenters described a proposal to create a standalone theft of public funds statute intended to clarify what constitutes theft of state program dollars and to simplify the investigative process. The draft would also increase penalties, including a 20% increase to the top dollar categories as presented to the committee.

Department of Human Services program integrity proposals
Shereen Gandhi, temporary commissioner at the Department of Human Services, described current DHS program integrity work and specific proposals to expand authority and speed interventions. Gandhi said DHS’s Office of Inspector General oversees roughly 390,000 care providers and that over the last five years OIG conducted about 4,000 investigations, stopped payments to more than 800 providers, referred over 400 cases to law enforcement, and recovered an average of more than $18 million annually — yielding an estimated return on investment of $1.89 for every dollar spent.

DHS proposals included: adding program integrity staff; expanding data‑sharing authority so agencies can act earlier on suspicious activity rather than wait for exclusion or disqualification decisions elsewhere; broadening immediate suspension authority to include controlling individuals and charges of fraud or theft against any state or federal agency; allowing disqualification of people under active investigation from management or billing roles; establishing provisional licensure for EIDBI (early intensive developmental and behavioral interventions) providers and increasing revalidation visits; and aligning time‑based billing statutes for substance use disorder services with federal and state guidance. Gandhi also described a proposal to contract for prepayment reviews of selected claims as an additional prepayment control.

Technology and prospective detection
Terek Tombs, commissioner of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and the state chief information officer, outlined a proposed pilot to use artificial intelligence and machine‑learning tools to analyze Medicaid provider claims and flag anomalies prospectively. Tombs said the pilot would enrich and prioritize suspicious activity for human review rather than replace agency judgment, and that the administration views AI as a way to move detection from retrospective audits to earlier, preventive identification of risk.

Education and grants management components
Willie Jett, education commissioner, described MDE proposals to strengthen the Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General with added investigators, legal counsel for charter school and nutrition oversight, and software to track cases and support financial analysis. Stacy Christiansen, deputy commissioner at the Department of Administration, summarized a proposal to expand the definition of grantee so the Office of Grants Management can suspend or debar not only current grantees but potential grantees with prior debarment‑worthy conduct. Christiansen said nonprofit and philanthropy groups supported that clarification and the administration also recommends making grantee reporting mandatory for state employees.

Office of Grants Management follow up and pre‑award risk assessment
The Department of Administration reviewed the Office of Grants Management’s recent work implementing a pre‑award risk assessment for grants over $25,000 effective Jan. 15, 2024; OGM has rolled out checklists, templates and training and is piloting an enterprise grants management study to assess whether a single grants management system is feasible.

No formal law or vote resulted from the hearing. Officials said the package combines executive orders, proposed budget investments and statutory changes that would require legislative action to implement; committee members asked questions about penalties, procedural safeguards, data sharing, timing, and federal reimbursement to states for certain investigatory costs.

Ending: Agency leaders said they would work with committee members to refine statutory language, implementation timelines and cost projections as the legislature considers the administration’s anti‑fraud proposals.","State leaders described a multi‑agency anti‑fraud package including consolidation of fraud investigators into a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension financial crimes and fraud section, a proposed theft of public funds statute that raises penalties, DHS program integrity expansions and a pilot to use AI for Medicaid anomaly detection through MNIT.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6324971,"Attorney General Ellison highlights enforcement wins and requests funding for staff, including Medicaid fraud unit expansion",765,1935800,2700970,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2335189-88a0cc191f36a1547c57260b5885a359&start=1935&end=2700","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2335189-88a0cc191f36a1547c57260b5885a359/thumbnail_1935800.jpg","/articles/6324971/Minnesota/Attorney-General-Ellison-highlights-enforcement-wins-and-requests-funding-for-staff-including-Medicaid-fraud-unit-expansion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324971-f8f4a7dea777a415b6854c57bb501220/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146711&Signature=cBiBXrwYDxu5f2J2weIOkMz4BVWft-P9IBlFD1uMga71ehSwBVHDScZTY~gd6x7aQRQmDm5NhPWufeVPxprymlNGU~jeMgIaXOBf4Ta9Rw5eEJRzkUZDAprBlEuhLUrOT97dLPJIp8lWbLIPTA3xLgxRhm8p2Dz19tzeJfyIK-IT3aj2E0Y2ugtvB2hI65CzjRtL2rS27BVv-jQZx-21o1KcSxn9xxj2pFXR1jxGznhg8Akk75SZrYy~X4hNbzAVVRL3zSAfGw3HJGsTyzF7~06UQFujQIANCMgjKshtgWfNHHYb~Qgtlosa0oDBLjkhetYmk~G-sdnWuySJZVuHZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Attorney General Keith Ellison told the Senate Committee on State and Local Government that his office’s recent legal work has returned money to the state and to Minnesota households and that additional staff and pay parity are needed to sustain enforcement.

“My office has contributed $2,100,000,000 to the bottom line of both state of Minnesota and Minnesota households,” Ellison said, citing settlements, rate interventions and consumer relief across multiple enforcement areas. He said the office’s general fund budget is about $40 million per fiscal year and that roughly 82% of that amount funds compensation.

Ellison outlined a two‑part budget request for fiscal 2026–27: a one‑time request of $940,000 and an ongoing increase of $7.9 million per year. The ongoing request would fund salary parity, address retention, and support 26 additional full‑time equivalent positions. He said the office hired 26 legal staff through 2023 investments and that even with those investments, inflation‑adjusted base funding remains below historic levels.

Ellison described enforcement outcomes the office points to as evidence of program impact: more than $565 million in opioid‑related settlements (with about $183 million received so far), more than $60 million from settlements with Juul and Altria over e‑cigarette marketing, more than $81 million won for the state’s tobacco fund, and $1.5 billion in consumer energy savings attributed to Residential Utilities Division interventions. He also said the office returned more than $85 million in restitution and debt relief tied to student loan scams and over $51 million in consumer‑direct relief through mediations and complaint handling.

The attorney general separately highlighted a request for nine new positions for the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit — one attorney and eight investigators — and said the federal Office of Inspector General staffing algorithm indicates the unit is understaffed relative to the size of Minnesota’s Medicaid program. Ellison said about 75% of the cost of those nine positions would be borne by federal reimbursement, leaving the state to fund the remaining 25%.

During Q&A, senators asked about the AG’s ongoing antitrust work. Ellison described current litigation and enforcement priorities, naming cases by industry and some defendants from his remarks: he cited lawsuits involving RealPage, AgriStats, Meta, major insulin manufacturers and John Deere, framing those actions as efforts to protect competition and consumers. He also described the office’s litigation history and noted that consumer protection activity often requires sustained staffing and resources.

Ellison told the committee the office answers tens of thousands of consumer calls annually — he said the consumer function receives between 65,000 and 85,000 calls per year — and that additional resources support both direct consumer assistance and complex civil and criminal investigations.

Ending: Ellison asked the committee to consider the office’s 2026–27 budget requests to maintain ongoing enforcement, preserve institutional knowledge and increase the office’s investigative capacity, especially for Medicaid fraud.","Attorney General Keith Ellison described recent settlements and consumer protection work, and asked the Senate committee for a $7.9 million ongoing increase and 26 FTEs for 2026–27, plus a one‑time $940,000. He also requested nine new positions for the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, 75% federally funded.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

MMB presents governor's 2025 budget requests including oversight staffing, DCYF re‑appropriation and carry‑forward authority

Governor’s anti‑fraud package: probe consolidation at BCA, new theft statute, DHS and MNIT data tools, and expanded grants debarment authority

Attorney General Ellison highlights enforcement wins and requests funding for staff, including Medicaid fraud unit expansion