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State Representative Joe Hoppe
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5066
For more information contact: Jodi Boyne 651-296-0640
HOUSE BRIEFS
WEEK EIGHT EMAIL UPDATE
Friends and Neighbors,
One of our “5 Governing Principles” is fiscal responsibility in government. An important aspect of that is accountability. But right now, much of government spending here in Minnesota is hidden underneath layers of bureaucracy and remains largely unaccountable. A bill moving through the Minnesota House would bring dramatic improvements in accountability by putting government spending information at your fingertips.
Introduced by Rep. Erik Paulsen, R-Eden Prairie, the bill would create an online database with information for every state service contract, grant award, or any other agreement the state makes with an outside entity that involves spending taxpayer dollars. Why is that important?
The most obvious reason is that it can help point out waste and abuse. With the rise in government watchdog groups and Internet bloggers who track government, more information is a good thing. Another potential benefit is the ability to sniff out corruption. What if a company that tends to get contract awards over and over again also operates an “independent” political action committee that makes large campaign donations in support of certain candidates? Right now such corruption would be almost impossible to find. With an online database, it would be exposed easily.
Another example of fiscal responsibility is the recent announcement that the state is doing away with the Department of Employee Relations and folding its duties into other state agencies. Doing away with duplicated efforts will save taxpayer dollars and make government easier to navigate.
The February budget forecast comes out this Wednesday, February 28. It will show how much money the state has to work with and update the budget surplus amount, which currently sits at $2.2 billion. As I’ve said before, I believe Minnesotans deserve tax relief and regardless of what the forecast says, there will be enough of a surplus for tax relief to all Minnesotans, regardless of their income.
Thank you to those of you who have contacted me with thoughts and concerns so far this year. I appreciate hearing from all of you and thank you for your time and interest.
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