Good morning, and welcome to another July Monday.
Minnesota Republicans are heading into the next election season low on money and way behind DFLers in cash on hand, but state GOP Chair David Hann disputes characterizations that the situation is bleak for his side. MPR’s Brian Bakst reports a federal campaign report filed last month by the Minnesota Republican Party showed just $53 on hand with more than $335,000 in unpaid bills at the end of May. The party was also low on available cash in its state account and carrying debt in its year-end report for 2022, including a still-outstanding rent payment for last year’s state party convention. "Every political party has money problems. Every political party will tell you we always can use more money. But we depend on donors," Hann said in a phone interview Friday, adding that the small-dollar giving base is picking up after a legislative session where a DFL-controlled state government swept through its agenda.
The Minnesota Human Services Department plans to start deleting some emails that are more than a year old next month under a new policy. The Pioneer Press reports: The change raises concern among advocates for government transparency and public records who worry it could dramatically limit the public’s understanding of the inner workings of the agency, especially when something goes wrong. It also underscores a growing trend — Minnesota government agencies, both state and local, often don’t treat emails themselves as official records unless workers decide they contain specific types of information. The Minnesota Department of Human Services is one of the state’s largest agencies that serves about 1 million people and has an annual budget of about $10 billion. It also has a history of compliance and oversight troubles. "Lawmakers talk a lot about transparency, but it doesn’t seem to be a priority," said Don Gemberling, of the Minnesota Coalition on Government Information. "If we really care, as we say we do, about how things happen in government and the way they happen, then we can’t figure that out without access to email."
Efforts to deceive the public about voting and elections remain a top concern for state election officials as they dig into preparations for the 2024 election, reports the Associated Press. Misinformation and the emergence of generative artificial intelligence tools to create false and misleading content were cited in interviews with several secretaries of state gathered recently for their national conference. Other top concerns were staffing and the loss of experienced leaders overseeing elections at the local level. The officials were gathered in Washington for the annual summer conference of the National Association of Secretaries of State. ''The cliché here is true,'' said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat. ''You hope for the best, but plan for the worst. So, we're planning for the worst, which is that multiple communications channels will be filled with false and misleading information.''
Minnesota U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber was one of only 70 members of the House to vote in favor of an amendment to cut all U.S. funding of Ukraine’s war effort. The Duluth News Tribune reports: "My vote was to address this Administration’s lack of transparency and accountability," Stauber, a Republican, said in a statement to the paper. "There are billions and billions of American taxpayer money and military equipment currently unaccounted for with no strategic plan to end the conflict. I support the Ukrainian people’s efforts to defend themselves and defeat Russian aggression." But earlier this year, a report by inspectors general at the U.S. Department of Defense Office, Department of State and United States Agency for International Development Offices found no widespread fraud at that time. "As of March 1, 2023, the three (Offices of Inspector General) had received 189 complaints alleging misconduct related to the Ukraine response. Investigations related to the Ukraine response have not yet substantiated significant waste, fraud, or abuse," a summary of the report said. Their offices continue to oversee the handling of U.S. aid sent to Ukraine. Stauber also backed another failed amendment introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., that would have cut $300 million in funding to Ukraine. That amendment failed Thursday in an 89-341 vote.
The underlying bill was the $868 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The House passed it 219-210 on Friday, with mostly Republican votes. Most Democrats withheld support after Republicans attached amendments targeting abortion, gender transition procedures and diversity, equality and inclusion programs in the military. “In an era of partisanship, the NDAA has been a lasting example of bipartisan collaboration,” said DFL Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips in a statement. “Congress must compromise for the greater good of keeping our country safe, but this year, extremists took the historic process hostage by injecting partisan amendments that erode freedoms and pose a clear danger to female service members, LGBTQ servicemembers, and military families. I’m appalled that Republican leaders allowed far-right members of their party to hijack the process, undermine our security, and disregard decades of collegial precedent.” Republican Rep. Brad Finstad voted for the bill. “With growing threats from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, it has never been more imperative that we adequately equip our military with the tools and resources they need to keep our country safe,” Finstad said in a statement. “The FY24 NDAA protects our homeland by investing in strategic missile defense and strengthens our defense systems by keeping our adversaries out of the supply chains that source critical minerals and metals used in DoD technologies.” | 