Video & Transcript Research : 'House Resolution 224'
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Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee 3/2/26
Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- I'm originally from Chicago, and this is my first session at the House. Hi everyone.
- first<00:00:50.480>
session <00:00:50.880>at <00:00:51.000>the <00:00:51.080>house - first session at the house. first session at the house. Awesome.<00:00:52.360>
Welcome. - He said that creates multiple layers of privatization and may make sense to bring that back in house.
- <01:12:06.960>
stabilization fraud we've seen, housing stabilization fraud we've seen, housing
Summary:
The committee met on March 2 and approved the February 23 minutes after a quorum was reached. The main presentation was from the Department of Human Services on non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), a federally required Medicaid benefit that helps Minnesota Health Care Program enrollees get to medically necessary appointments. DHS said the program served more than 250,000 people in 2025 at a cost of $127 million, with participation up about 14% over five years, and described the seven transportation modes, provider enrollment requirements, STS certification, background checks, prior authorization rules, and planned transitions to a single administrator for parts of the program in 2026 and 2027.
DHS officials emphasized fraud prevention efforts, saying NEMT is one of the agency’s high-risk Medicaid services. They described enhanced prepayment review, provider revalidation and site visits, removal of inactive providers, and a provider moratorium in metro counties. Inspector General James Clark said the governor’s anti-fraud proposal would add pre-enrollment risk assessments, more staffing and technology, and electronic visit verification. He also noted that about 80% of NEMT spending is in managed care and that managed care organizations have their own compliance and special investigations units.
Committee members raised concerns about fraud, oversight, and privatization. Chair Robbins questioned DHS about the absence of the commissioner and the program’s use of brokers, citing past concerns and asking about the vendor MTM’s history; DHS said the RFP for the new broker had closed and the vendor selection was still underway. Representative Pinto questioned why oversight is outsourced to managed care organizations and suggested bringing more oversight back in house. MTM representative Phil Stahlberger defended the company’s record, said the Missouri dispute was about contract terms from about 15 years ago, and said MTM currently works in Minnesota counties and many other states, with on-site reviews, trip verification, and complaint review processes. No further votes or final actions on the NEMT policy were taken in the portion provided.
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Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Minnesota Management and Budget Press Conference 2/27/26
Summary:
Minnesota Management and Budget officials presented the February 2026 budget and economic forecast, saying the state remains in a strong financial position but faces continued structural imbalance and significant uncertainty. Commissioner Aaron Campbell said the FY 2026-27 balance is now projected at more than $3.7 billion, up about $1.3 billion from November, and the FY 2028-29 planning period is projected to end with a $377 million positive balance. He emphasized that the improvement comes largely from higher projected revenues, especially individual income and corporate franchise taxes, but warned that the state is increasingly reliant on more volatile sources such as capital gains, interest income, and corporate profits.
State Economist Dr. Anthony Becker said the national outlook improved slightly, with stronger projected GDP, consumer spending, and investment, but weaker payroll growth and ongoing trade-policy uncertainty. He noted that the forecast was complicated by missing federal data because of the federal shutdown, and that tariffs, immigration policy, equity markets, and possible AI-related shifts all present risks. Revenue projections were raised for the current biennium, including individual income tax receipts, sales tax revenue, corporate franchise tax revenue, and other revenues, while Becker stressed that federal funding threats, especially involving Medicaid and other entitlement programs, could materially alter the outlook.
State Budget Director Anna Mingi said general fund spending in the current biennium is projected to be $68 million lower than previously estimated, but planning-year spending is up $152 million. The biggest spending changes came from education, where special education costs rose sharply after updated local spending data, and from human services, where a new prepayment review process for certain Medicaid benefits reduced projected spending by $133 million this biennium and $105 million in the next. She also said discretionary inflation is now estimated at $1.04 billion, up $104 million from November.
Campbell closed by saying the state’s reserve remains at a record $3.8 billion and that Minnesota’s AAA bond rating and reserve policy help protect against downturns. He cautioned, however, that the long-term structural imbalance remains about $3.4 billion in the planning years, or $2.3 billion excluding discretionary inflation, and urged policymakers to offset any new spending with reductions. No votes or formal actions were taken; the meeting was a presentation and question-and-answer session on the forecast.
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Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House/Senate Republican Media Availability 2/27/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- I'm Lisa Demuth, Speaker of the House.
- House Republicans stand ready in three ways: federal tax conformity, we're also looking to take the pressure
- Uh, my name is Harry Niska, the Republican floor leader in the Minnesota House.
- With that, I think most of the other points have been covered very well with House leadership.
- We are still in a tie in the House.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House/Senate DFL Media Availability 2/27/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Housing costs are up through tariffs and labor shortages.
- They advise taking out a 50-year mortgage to buy a house.
- out a 50-year mortgage to buy a house. out a 50-year mortgage to buy a house.
- The House DFL will stand with those folks this session.
- <00:08:29.440>
say I heard the speaker of the house say I heard the speaker of the house say
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Governor Tim Walz Media Availability 2/27/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- And I will credit again bipartisanly Republican House leadership, with Paul Torkelson, who was, I think
Summary:
The governor discussed Minnesota’s budget outlook ahead of a supplemental budget release next month, saying the state remains financially strong but should be cautious because of federal uncertainty and a structural imbalance in spending. He said the administration’s approach will be measured, with limited new spending and possibly modest revenue measures, while prioritizing a bonding bill and maintaining the state’s AAA bond rating, reserves, and middle-class tax cuts. He also praised the 2023 legislative session and bipartisan cooperation as the basis for the state’s current position.
A major topic was spending growth in special education and the broader human services system. The governor said special education is a fundamental service the state is legally and morally obligated to provide, but costs need to be managed more efficiently. He pointed to legacy IT systems in the Department of Human Services and county service delivery as expensive, antiquated, and error-prone, and said the state needs a multi-year modernization plan and continued reorganization. He argued that reforms such as prepayment verification and other fraud controls should reduce costs without cutting services.
The governor also addressed federal actions affecting Medicaid and other programs, sharply criticizing efforts to withhold funds and claims of widespread fraud. He said Minnesota’s Medicaid error rate is lower than the national average and argued that the federal government’s approach would harm children, pregnant women, and seniors without improving fraud prevention. He also said the state’s gun violence prevention and fraud-fighting packages are expected to be relatively close to budget neutral. No formal votes or legislative actions were taken in the meeting, which was primarily a press availability and Q&A.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Expanding and modifying Medicaid fraud provisions 2/26/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- This bill has bipartisan support, and it passed out of the House last year.
- This bill has bipartisan support, and it passed out of the House last year.
- Of Norris moves House File 2354 to be re-referred to Judiciary Finance Civil Law Committee.
- Across the country, AG offices house what are called Medicaid fraud control units.
- Chair and members, uh Ben Johnson from House Research. I'm going to walk through the A5 amendment.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Tax Expenditure Review Commission annual report 2/26/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- So nine members: four from the House, four from the Senate, and then the Department of Revenue commissioner
- <00:04:39.360>
four <00:04:39.600>from <00:04:39.680>the <00:04:39.759>house - , nine members uh four from the house, nine members uh four from the house, four<00:04:40.160>
- <00:30:26.399>
colleagues <00:30:26.960>in <00:30:27.279>the <00:30:27.440>house - <00:30:28.000>
and nonpartisan colleagues in the house and nonpartisan colleagues in the house
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Creating the Educator Group Insurance Program (Part 2) 2/26/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- House File 2904 creates a statewide large health insurance pool for all public schools and their employees
- Thank you for your time today, and I ask for your full support of House File 2904 and the Educator Group
- He said House File 2904 requires employer contributions of 95% and 85% for family and individuals.
- House File 2904 requires employer contributions of 95% and 85% for family and individuals.
- House File 2904 requires employer contributions of 95% and 85% for family and individuals.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Banning cryptocurrency kiosks 2/26/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- We're hearing House File 3642, virtual currency kiosk prohibited. >> And the motion is to lay over. >
- >> I move the DE1 to House File 3642. >> I move the DE1 to House File 3642. >> So members, the DE1 author's
- So, House File 3642, as amended, is a bill to prohibit crypto kiosks in Minnesota.
- The department strongly supports House File 3642.
- And then with that, House File 3642 is amended and laid over for further discussion.
Summary:
The committee heard House File 3642, as amended by the DE1, which would prohibit virtual currency kiosks in Minnesota. The author, Chair Kaggel, said the bill is intended to stop scammers from using crypto kiosks to defraud vulnerable people, especially older adults, because the transactions are often irreversible and hard to trace. Representative Perryman spoke in support, describing local fraud cases and saying the issue had come to her attention through St. Cloud residents and police. The bill was laid over for further work with the Department of Commerce and other interested members.
Testimony from law enforcement and advocates strongly supported the ban. A St. Cloud police sergeant said the problem is statewide and described a case in which a 78-year-old woman lost $80,000 after being directed to a kiosk. A Woodbury detective said current safeguards, including warnings, limits, and refund provisions, have not stopped weekly victimization and that scammers coach victims to bypass protections. An AARP Minnesota volunteer said kiosks are a preferred vehicle for scammers because they move stolen funds quickly and are especially harmful to older adults, and he noted that the 2024 consumer protections have not been enough.
The Department of Commerce also supported the bill, saying crypto kiosks are a growing fraud vector and citing 120 complaints over three years, nearly $1 million in reported losses, and 70 cases with $540,000 in losses already in 2025. The department said many victims do not report losses, so the true amount is likely higher. In contrast, Coinflip’s general counsel opposed a ban and argued that fraud should be addressed through stronger regulation, refunds, blockchain analytics, and customer-service requirements rather than prohibiting a legal product. He said scams would continue through other channels if kiosks were banned. In discussion, members asked about the number of kiosks, how long they have been operating in Minnesota, and the scale of losses; the department said there are about 350 licensed kiosks operated by 8 to 10 operators, though the total number may be higher.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
House Higher Education Finance and Policy Committee 2/26/26
Higher Education Finance and Policy
Transcript Highlights:
- Auggie Basics Housing, a program to address emergency housing needs among our students, has seen a large
- Reports flooded in of plainclothes agents going from housing complex to housing complex, getting closer
- <00:47:42.600>
Higher Goldman, welcome to the House Higher Goldman, welcome to the House Higher - So, I am a housing resource navigator.
- Um again, some had some, you the house.
Summary:
The committee adopted the minutes from its February 24, 2026 meeting after a motion by Vice Chair Coulter. The hearing then focused on the impact of federal immigration enforcement, referred to throughout as Operation Metro Surge, on Minnesota college campuses. The chair said the purpose was to document alleged abuses, campus fear, and racial discrimination, and to hear from testifiers about effects on students, faculty, and staff. Representative Novotny briefly objected to the framing, saying the committee should be finding facts rather than making a predetermined presentation, and the chair responded that members should remain respectful and that questions would be held until after all presenters testified.
Augsburg University President Paul Pribbenow described what he called relentless and unprecedented disruption, including student stops and interrogations, family separations, and an ICE operation on campus in which armed masked agents allegedly detained a student without a warrant and pointed weapons at students and staff. He said the campus received bomb threats afterward, increased virtual learning options, and saw spikes in student support needs, housing assistance, and leaves of absence. Jenna Chernega of the Inter Faculty Organization said faculty across Minnesota State universities reported widespread student and colleague stress, increased workload, disappearing students, and a need for clearer sensitive-location protections and academic freedom guidance. Mark Grant of Minnesota State College Faculty said community conditions inevitably affect classrooms, that campuses have not yet had an ICE incident but are bracing for one, and that faculty want to support students and may need financial help if enrollment declines.
Jennifer Irwin of AFSCME said fear from ICE activity extends beyond campus boundaries and is affecting attendance, work, and daily life for staff and students; she cited a member detained in St. Paul while trying to prove legal status. Student testifiers Brendan Frazier of Concordia University, St. Paul, Jonathan Fitzgerald of Minnesota State Mankato, Sudi Adow of Lead MN, and Will Luther of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities described panic, reduced attendance, food insecurity, disrupted classes, and fear of leaving home or commuting to campus. They urged stronger student privacy protections, support for international and immigrant students, emergency aid, and policies to keep campuses safe. No further committee action or votes were taken after the minutes approval.
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Transcript Highlights:
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have housing and housing affordability have housing and housing affordability have really<00 - housing infrastructure for 23 units. housing infrastructure for 23 units.
- and affordable housing. and affordable housing.
- Public housing buildings.
- and housing housing authorities and housing redevelopment<00:42:47.599>
authorities <00:42:47.920
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Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Student career pathways framework established 2/26/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Chair and members, to have in front of you House File 3650.
- of you House File 30 uh 3650. of you House File 30 uh 3650.
- <00:05:27.360>
File EPC, speaking in support of House File EPC, speaking in support of House - Please support House Bill 3650.
- today to support in support of House today to support in support of House Bill<00:09:27.680>
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Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Creating the Educator Group Insurance Program (Part 1) 2/26/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- This is House File 2904. >> I will move House File 2904 to be laid over for possible inclusion.
- So, Representative Ston, >> Uh, Madam Chair, that was actually for House File 3422. >> Excuse me.
- I ask for your support on House File 2904.
- <00:06:38.160>
Thank your support on House File 2904. - Thank your support on House File 2904. Thank you.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Medical Assistance provider enrollment processes 2/26/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- So we will start with House File 3423.
- Representative Hicks moves House File 3423 to be laid over for possible inclusion.
- I'm Annie Mock with House Research. So, I'm going to walk through the DE1 to House File 3423.
- developer, for 10 years on a housing project downtown.
- Luckily, 72 new units of beautiful affordable housing will open in December of this year.
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Transcript Highlights:
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open beginning of the year, um, during open beginning of the year, um, during open houses - >
Um, <01:01:58.000>lots <01:01:58.319>of <01:01:58.480>conversations houses - Um, lots of conversations houses.
- <01:13:10.320>
in <01:13:10.560>two haven't been out of their house in two haven't - been out of their house in two months,<01:13:11.199>
I <01:13:11.360>have <01:13:11.520>
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Transcript Highlights:
- Hearing no objection, the reports are adopted. >> Second reading of House files. >> Second reading, House
- reading of House files 3749 through 3813. >> First reading House files 3749 through 3813.
- House files have been offered for House files have been offered for introduction<00:09:49.760>
today - >> Introduction of first reading of house >> Introduction of first reading of house
- Motions and resolutions.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Fishing with two or four lines 2/26/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- I'll move that House File 624 be laid over for possible inclusion in a future bill.
- Once again, House File 624 is a pretty straightforward bill.
- Once again, House File 624, committee.
- And House File 624 uh the live well.
- House File 624 be laid over. The bills light...
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Transcript Highlights:
- , nine members uh four from the house, nine members uh four from the house, four<00:09:00.399>
- <00:21:12.400>
So us the the data by income this house. - So us the the data by income this house.
- Then we have two Robbins bills: House File 3525, the issue of no tax on tips; House File 3524, no tax
- House File 3525, two Robins bills.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assessment data in property tax litigation 2/26/26
Minnesota House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- Next, we will hear from Chair Scott presenting House File 2959.
- House File 2959 makes Minnesota's property tax system fairer and more transparent by protecting taxpayers
- House File 2959 responds to the Minnesota Supreme Court's GNI 9 OIC LLC versus County of Hennepin decision
- House File 2959 makes Minnesota's property tax system fairer and more transparent by protecting taxpayers
- 00:32:00.240>
address <00:32:00.720>the um House Research could address the um House Research