Anchor/producer: Fighting fraud and modernizing education funding (Season 2 Episode 14)

Some of the state's efforts to fight fraud are creating collateral damage. Minnesotans with disabilities say their supportive services are being cut off due to delayed payments and fraud investigations into care providers. To that end, Senator Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, is looking to strike the right balance between protecting program integrity and ensuring reliable support for vulnerable Minnesotans. Minnesota’s Permanent School Fund has existed since statehood, and in all that time, how the fund uses and invests those dollars has never changed. Senator Mary Kunesh, DFL–New Brighton, is pushing to modernize the process so schools and students can access more resources without raising taxes. For any changes to take effect, Minnesotans would need to approve a constitutional amendment on the November ballot.