House committee advances bill to create legislative Office of Inspector General after hours of amendment votes

A Minnesota House committee advanced House File 1 on a voice vote after more than two hours of debate and a string of amendments, endorsing a plan to create an Office of Inspector General (OIG) placed under the Legislative Audit Commission.

The bill, introduced and presented in committee by Representative Anderson, would establish a nonpartisan OIG within the Legislative Audit Commission to investigate alleged fraud, waste and abuse in state programs and in recipients of state funds. Representative Anderson said the placement under the Legislative Audit Commission was intended to preserve independence and nonpartisanship: "that body...is very nonpartisan...and it's independent," she said, arguing that the OIG should be able to act "without threats from anyone or any angle." She also described the measure as a response to a recent wave of grant- and program-related fraud prosecutions and said lawmakers expect additional cases to emerge.

Why it matters: supporters said the proposal would centralize investigative expertise and improve detection of multi-agency fraud, while opponents warned the draft contains broad authorities over rulemaking, data access and staff classification that could raise separation-of-powers and privacy concerns.

Key votes and amendments

- The committee moved a DE amendment first and adopted it; the bill was then considered in the amended form. The A1 amendment was also adopted. - Representative Clardy’s A2 amendment — which would have removed a rulemaking exemption and subjected the OIG to…