COME OVER AND SHARE YOUR EXPERTISE.

>> THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

>> Eric: THE GOVERNOR'S GONE ON THE FISHING OPENER WHICH IS A TRADITION THIS TIME OF YEAR AS LEGISLATIVE LEADERS ARE JOINING HIM IN A BOAT TO TRY TO CATCH A WALLY AND A SESSION-ENDING DEAL.

POLITICAL REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER SHOWS US HOW ADDRESSING FRAUD IN GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS IS PICKING UP MOMENTUM TOWARD THE END OF THE SESSION.

>> MARY, I BROUGHT THIS NOTEBOOK JUST FOR YOU.

>> THIS IS A BINDER WITH ONE WEEK'S WORTH OF WORK FOR ONE LAWMAKER IN THE FINAL DAYS OF SESSION READY TO UFIGHT IN A TIED CHAMBER.

>> THIS IS THE WE SIMPLE NOTE, IT'S RIGHT HERE, IT SAYS "FRAUD EQUALS BAD."

THAT'S WHAT I THINK ALL OF US HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON.

>> IF IT'S A POLITICAL SLOGAN, YEAH, YOU CAN WRITE IT ON YOUR HAND, YOU CAN PRINT A LETTER BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT GOING TO HELP THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA.

>> REPUBLICANS RAN JUST ONE COMMITTEE WITH A MAJORITY ALL SESSION LONG.

>> DO YOU FEEL LIKE IT BECAME PARTISAN OR THAT IT STILL MAINTAINED THE BIPARTISAN PROCESS OTHER COMMITTEES HAD?

>> YOU KNOW, WE REALLY TRIED HARD TO KEEP IT BIPARTISAN BECAUSE I REALLY DO SEE IT AS A SEPARATION OF POWERS ISSUE BUT CLEARLY WE HAVE A FIVE-THREE MAJORITY AND OUR COLLEAGUES DIDN'T ALWAYS AGREE WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAID IN COMMITTEE.

>> WE'VE HIT A SWEET SPOT IN THIS WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GET A GOOD FRAUD PACKAGE OUT OF THIS.

>> WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE WERE AN EFFECTIVE POLITICAL ISSUE FOR REPUBLICANS WHO RAN ON IT, IN CLOSE RACES FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL AND STATE AUDITOR.

BUT DEMOCRATS SAY IT'S PRIVATE COMPANIES COMMITTING CRIMES AGAINST GOVERNMENT THAT THEY'RE ADDRESSING.

>> IT'S SORT OF EASY TO TALK IN GENERALITIES ABOUT FRAUD AND PERHAPS THAT HAS A EFFECT OF UNDERMINING FAITH IN GOVERNMENT, ET CETERA.

WE REALLY WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT, YEP, WE GREE FRAUD IS BAD AND LET'S TAKE ACTION IN A WELL INFORMED AND CONCRETE WAY.

>> BACK WHEN THE BIG FEEDING OUR FUTURE FRAUD CASE FIRST EMERGED IT OOK TIME FOR GOVERNOR WALZ TO DIRECTLY ADDRESS THE ISSUE.

>> ATTORNEY GENERAL STATED WITHOUT MDE THERE WOULD BE NO INDICTMENTS.

FBI STATED SUCH A THING.

I WISH THERE WAS MORE OUTRAGE THAT CHILDREN MIGHT NOT HAVE GOT FOOD.

I WISH THERE WAS MORE OUTRAGE THAT WE HAD CRIMINALS THAT WERE BRAZEN AND TOOK THIS.

>> THERE IS, INTENTIONALLY OR NOT, A CULTURE OF FRAUD THAT HAS BEEN FOSTERED BY THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.

I THINK THE GOOD NEWS IN THIS WHOLE STORY IS THERE IS BIPARTISAN NEARLY UNANIMOUS SUPPORT THAT THERE'S MORE THAT WE CAN DO, THERE'S MORE AUTHORITY THAT WE CAN PUT INTO IT, THERE'S MORE TEETH, THERE'S MORE LEGAL CHANGES AND A COMMITMENT TO THIS.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> THIS YEAR IN HIS STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS TACKLING FRAUD WAS THE LINE THAT GOT THE MOST BIPARTISAN APPLAUSE.

>> DOING MORE TO PREVENT, INVESTIGATE, AND PUNISH FRAUD IN GOVERNMENT.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ] >> FRAUD REFORMS ARE SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT THE BIPARTISAN BUDGET BILLS HERE IN THE HOUSE.

THE QUESTION IS HOW THAT WILL LINE UP WITH THE SENATE THAT HAS A D.F.L.

MAJORITY.

>> THERE BEING 60 AYES AND NOES THE BILL IS PASSED.

>> A BILL TO CREATE AN OFFICE OF INSPECTOR ENERAL IS MOVING SEPARATELY AND SMOOTHLY SO FAR.

>> TAUGHT ME HOW TO WORK WITH OTHER PEOPLE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE, PEOPLE WHO I MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE WITH, BUT WE FOUND COMMON GROUND AND WE BUCKLED DOWN AND WE KEPT OUR HEADS DOWN AND DID THE WORK.

>> WHEN IT COMES TO FRAUD IN MINNESOTA THE STATUS QUO ISN'T AN OPTION.

WE NEED ACTION, AND THIS BILL DOES THAT.

>> THIS BILL, ALTHOUGH IT'S A GREAT FRONT PAGE OF A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE, IT'S NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME!

>> IF THIS DOESN'T GO ALL THE WAY TO THE GOVERNOR'S DESK AND RELUCTANTLY GET HIS SIGNATURE, THEN WE WILL HAVE FAILED THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA.

>> WOULD YOU SEE THIS ISSUE OF WASTE, FRAUD, ABUSE BREAKING OFF FROM A GLOBAL DEAL AND RUNNING SEPARATELY?

>> THERE'S NO REASON THAT THIS O.I.G.

NEEDS TO BE PART OF A GLOBAL DEAL.

BOTH PARTIES SUPPORT THIS.

THE GOVERNOR IN HIS STATE OF THE STATE SAID HE WOULD SIGN THE BILL IF IT GOT THROUGH.

THIS HAS EVOLVED INTO A BIPARTISAN WORKING GROUP, WHERE WE HAVE ESSENTIALLY BEEN DOING CONFERENCE COMMITTEES FOR MONTHS.

>> THE THEFT OF PUBLIC FUNDS NEEDS TO BE A TOP PRIORITY, IT NEEDS TO BE PROSECUTED.

WE'VE SEEN PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LOOPHOLES AND CONTINUE TO DO SO I'M OPEN TO WHAT THEY BRING.

HOPEFULLY OPENING THE FLOODGATES FOR A CASCADE OF SIGNING COMING UP.

IT'S THE LAW.

[ APPLAUSE ] IT'S NOT THAT UNUSUAL, WE CAME BACK IN 2019, DID NOT GET A DEAL UNTIL AFTER MOTHER'S DAY.

IT IS GETTING LATE, THAT IS AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT BUT I THINK THERE IS A COMMITMENT TO GETTING THIS THING DONE ON TIME, A COMMITMENT TO BALANCING THE BUDGET S WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO BOTH IN THE FIRST BIENNIUM.

I THINK THERE'S STRONG CONSENSUS THAT IT MAKES SENSE TO DO IT IN THE SECOND.