Bill asks for accountability from DEED

published 3/24/2009

The state agency in charge of economic development would be required to do a better job of measuring the impact of its programs, under a bill approved by a House division.

Under HF1785, the Department of Employment and Economic Development would have to measure its return on investment in terms of state dollars spent. The department would also be required to report back to the Legislature on whether its operations achieved certain goals like reducing unemployment and getting people off welfare.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Kim Norton (DFL-Rochester), said the department currently doesn’t provide lawmakers with enough information to evaluate the effectiveness of its programs.

“I just really believe we, as an accountability and oversight Legislature and committee, need information in order to make good decisions, and I just didn’t see us getting it,” Norton told member of the House Bioscience and Workforce Development Policy and Oversight Division

The division approved the bill and referred it to the House Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division. There is no Senate companion.

- Nick Busse