Minnesota governor candidates pledge anti-fraud plans. What changes are already underway?

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar and GOP House Speaker Lisa Demuth pledge to fight fraud that has flourished in state government in recent years if elected to be the next governor, which is a top issue this fall.

More than one quarter of Minnesota's likely voters said solving the problem will be top of mind when deciding who should be the state's next chief executive, according to the latest Minnesota Star Tribune poll.

Klobuchar has said she would do a "top to bottom" audit of state government and close gaps in enforcement, so fraud can be better prosecuted. She wants regular, in-person inspections and promises to implement a "do not pay" database to block anyone convicted of fraud from every grant, contract or program in state government.

Demuth similarly said she would crosscheck convicted criminals across state programs so they aren't stealing from multiple funds and instruct her agencies to conduct unannounced site visits. She also said she would replace all the commissioners leading those departments with experts committed to ending the "culture of fraud."

But any of their plans would be an addition to policy changes the legislature implemented over the last few years.

What anti-fraud measures did the Minnesota Legislature approve?

On a bipartisan basis in a closely divided capitol these last two years, lawmakers passed a slate of new anti-fraud measures, including increasing criminal penalties for fraudsters and boosting the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the attorney general's office.

They also added protections for whistleblowers and made it easier to stop payments for suspected fraud, which was a request of Gov. Tim Walz's administration as it grapples with the social services scandal.

Outdated technology beleaguers county governments tasked with implementing the programs and the Legislature earmarked $75 million for upgrades.

A significant change is a new Office of Inspector General, an independent watchdog tasked with investigating waste, fraud and abuse. The next governor will choose who leads the agency from a list of recommendations from a legislative commission. The group has begun that work and plans to have the candidates by January.