♪♪ >> Eric: AT THE STATE CAPITOL, THE HOUSE AND SENATE HAD THEIR FIRST FULL WEEK OF TWO CHAMBERS IN ACTION.

REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER IS BACK TO SHOW US HOW THE KEY ISSUE OF STOPPING FRAUD HAS BIPARTISAN MOMENTUM IN THE SENATE, AND NOT SO MUCH IN THE HOUSE.

>> THE MOTION PREVAILS.

>> THE SENATE SAW AGREEMENT AND PRODUCTIVE BIPARTISAN WORK APPROVING A PLAN TO TACKLE WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE OF GOVERNMENT FUNDS BY CREATING A NEW STATE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL.

>> THE IRST BIPARTISAN BILL PRESENTATION FOR THE -- >> FOR ME, YEAH.

WE DECIDED THIS PRETTY EARLY ON AND I REALLY HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE JOINED US NOT JUST AS AN AUTHOR BUT HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN THE CRAFTING OF THE LANGUAGE.

>> YEAH, I BELIEVE IT'S MY FIRST BIPARTISAN BILL PRESENTATION.

I HAVE HAD A CO-PRESENTATION BUT I THINK IT WAS WITH ANOTHER REPUBLICAN.

>> AT THE TABLE TODAY YOU'LL SEE SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T OFTEN SEE.

THIS BILL S BEING COPRESENTED BY A DEMOCRAT AND A REPUBLICAN.

>> I'D LIKE TO THANK SENATOR GUSTAFSON FOR HER EFFORTS HERE TO BRING PARTIES TO, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PARTIES TOGETHER, MAKE THIS A TRULY BIPARTISAN EFFORT.

>> THIS IS DEFINITELY KIND F BEEN A GUT PUNCH TO MOST LEGISLATORS AGAIN WHEN IT LEAVES OUR HANDS, MONEY-WISE OR POLICY-WISE AND IT DOESN'T GO THE WAY WE INTEND IT TO GO AND I THINK THAT'S WHY YOU SEE SUCH A GOOD BIPARTISAN EFFORT THIS ONE.

>> I AM HOPEFUL THAT THIS LEGISLATURE WILL GO THROUGH A PROCESS THAT IS BIPARTISAN, BICAMERAL AND SENDS A BILL THAT IS VERY HEAVILY SUPPORTED TO THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE BECAUSE WE NEED TO DEMONSTRATE TO MINNESOTA THAT THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND THAT WE MEAN BUSINESS.

>> HOW ODD OF A COMMITTEE HEARING THIS HAS BEEN WHEN I'M AGREEING WITH SENATOR KORAN AND SENATOR BAHR AND SENATOR DRAZKOWSKI.

>> THESE ARE BILLS THAT AREN'T COMPLEX, THEY'RE NOT COMPLICATED, THEY'RE SIMPLE FIXES THAT WE'VE BEEN, THE ADMINISTRATION'S BEEN IGNORING FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS.

>> WITH MORE THAN HALF A BILLION DOLLARS OF FRAUD DOCUMENTED WITH STATE DOLLARS, IT'S A TOP POLITICAL ISSUE IN TWO LOSELY DIVIDED CHAMBERS SO THIS EARLY BIPARTISAN PARTNERSHIP IS NOTABLE FROM TWO SENATORS IN SWING DISTRICTS.

>> WHAT WAS THE GENESIS OF THE TWO OF YOU GETTING TOGETHER?

>> I THINK I TWISTED HIS HARM.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR A WHILE.

WE STARTED OUT WITH POWER SHARING AND IT WAS GOING REALLY WELL SO WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THAT MOMENT AND DECIDED THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING WE BOTH CARED ABOUT.

I WAS LOOKING FOR SOME REPUBLICAN COAUTHORS BUT I REALLY KNEW THAT IN ORDER TO GET THIS ACROSS IT COULDN'T JUST BE MY BILL THAT I HAD THEM SIGN THEIR NAME TO, IT HAD TO BE A JOINT BILL IN THE TRUEST SENSE.

>> THE TIE IS OVER, BUT COULD THIS HELP YOU GET THROUGH THE HOUSE AND GET TO THE GOVERNOR?

>> THE POLITICAL DYNAMICS THAT WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW THIS IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE BIPARTISAN.

AND SO IT MAKES SENSE TO ME TO MAKE IT BIPARTISAN FROM THE BEGINNING.

>> THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS GETTING RID OF INSPECTORS GENERAL, AND WE'RE TRYING TO ADD THEM.

>> I'M FOCUSED ON THE STATE GOVERNMENT RIGHT NOW.

AND HONESTLY I'M TOO BUSY TO FOLLOW THE DAY TO DAY GOING ON WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM HERE AT THE STATE GOVERNMENT AND THAT'S MY FOCUS.

AND I THINK BRINGING MY LEGAL EXPERTISE TOO TO MAKE SURE THIS BILL IS WORKABLE FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT IS GOING TO REALLY SET IT UP FOR SUCCESS.

>> I THINK IT'S GOOD TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN DO HERE IN MINNESOTA AND MAYBE BE A LEADER.

WE ARE ASKING FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY, MORE ACCOUNTABILITY, MORE EFFICIENCY, WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR LESS.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS DOING BUT THAT'S REALLY EVERY DAY WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

>> STATE HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADERS SENT A LETTER TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ASKING HE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO INVESTIGATE NEW FRAUD CLAIMS HERE IN MINNESOTA.

>> THERE BEING SEVEN YESES AND SIX NAYS, THE MOTION PREVAILS.

>> THE HOUSE SAW SLIM PARTY-LINE VOTES ON OTHER FRAUD PROPOSALS IN COMMITTEE, AND WHILE REPUBLICANS ON THE FLOOR HAVE A ONE-VOTE ADVANTAGE, THEY NEED TO GAIN D.F.L.

VOTES TO GET ANY BILLS PASSED.

>> MAKE WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE LESS POSSIBLE AND LESS RAMPANT IN OUR STATE.

WE ARE NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH AND LOOK FOR WITCHES TO BURN AT THE STAKE, THAT'S NOT THE INTENT.

>> I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT ADDING ANOTHER LEVEL OF BUREAUCRACY.

>> I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT'S THE BEST USE OF OUR RESOURCES THIS WAY.

>> OVER HERE IN THE HOUSE THERE WAS SOME PARTY-LINE VOTES ON SOME OF THE FRAUD BILLS, YOU'RE NOT IN THE SAME PLACE, WHY IS THAT?

>> YEAH, IT'S DISAPPOINTING AND HONESTLY IT'S REALLY SURPRISING TO ME.

I REALLY THINK FRAUD IS A BIPARTISAN ISSUE AND WE HAVE GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR DEMOCRAT COLLEAGUES ON THE COMMITTEE.

THE GOVERNOR CAME OUT WITH HIS PROPOSAL AND I CARRY A WHISTLEBLOWER BILL THAT'S EXPANDING WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTIONS FOR STATE WORKERS.

>> DO YOU HAVE DEMOCRATIC COAUTHORS?

>> AND I DON'T AND IN THE SENATE THE BILL PASSED UNANIMOUSLY BIPARTISANLY OUT OF COMMITTEE AND IN THE HOUSE THIS WEEK IT PASSED ON A PARTY-LINE VOTE.

>> THE HOUSE HEARD SEVERAL FRAUD RELATED BILLS AND THEY ALL PASSED ON PARTY LINE.

THAT DIDN'T SOUND LIKE THAT.

>> NO, I THINK WHAT YOU SAW TODAY HERE IS WE HAVE TRUE BIPARTISAN UPPORT FOR THIS IDEA.

ARE WE GOING TO AGREE ON EVERY DETAIL?

MAYBE, MAYBE NOT BUT WE HAVE OPEN AND CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS.

AND SO I'M REALLY PROUD OF WHERE THE SENATE IS AT.

OUR BILL HAS BEEN VETTED.

WE HAVE A REALLY SOLID START AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE BIPARTISAN WORK.

>> IS THE SENATE AHEAD OF THE HOUSE?

>> WE STARTED EARLIER SO IN THAT SENSE WE ARE, BUT, NO, I THINK HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE AND BRINGS AS MANY PEOPLE INTO THE PROCESS AS POSSIBLE, HEARING THEIR CONCERNS, BEING REALLY TRANSPARENT, HEY, THIS IS WHAT I'M DOING, THIS IS WHAT THE BILL LOOKS LIKE, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS AND ACTUALLY IF YOU INCORPORATE SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK INTO IT THEN YOU HAVE A HEARING LIKE WE HAD TODAY WHICH IS EVERYBODY HAS SOME, YOU KNOW, AN ISSUE HERE OR THERE BUT EVERYBODY SEEMS TO BE GENERALLY ON BOARD WITH THE OVERALL CONCEPT.

>> IF EVERYONE'S INVESTED IN IT