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3 golden objects Minnesota Legislature

Office of the Legislative Auditor

Legislative Audit Commission Meeting

Minutes

February 13, 2009

Members Present:

Representative Michael Beard    Senator Don Betzold
Representative Rick Hansen Senator Joe Gimse
Representative Bill Hilty Senator David Hann
Representative Ron Shimanski Senator James Metzen
Representative Steve Simon Senator Ann H. Rest

Members Absent:

Representative Mary Liz Holberg    Senator Claire Robling

 

Representative Rick Hansen, Chair, called the Legislative Audit Commission (LAC) meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.  The primary purpose of the meeting was to elect new officers of the commission as required by law.

Since a quorum was not present at the start of the meeting, Representative Hansen asked Jim Nobles, Legislative Auditor, to give an update on the program audits.  Mr. Nobles said that the OLA had recently released Personal Care Assistance (PCA) and that it had good impact, but a lot of legislative decisions needed to be made on that issue.  The second evaluation, Q Comp:  Quality Compensation for Teachers, had been released to a standing committee.  The next evaluation to be released, MINNCOR Industries, was scheduled to be released on February 23.  He said that Oversight of Workers’ Compensation was also ready the same week as MINNCOR and would be released to a standing committee.  He also said that MnSCU Occupational Programs and Biofuel Policies and Programs would be released early and mid-March, respectively.  Mr. Nobles then mentioned that the OLA would be starting the topic selection process early the following week with a letter to all legislators and legislative staff soliciting topic suggestions. 

At 10:05 a.m., Representative Hansen noted that a quorum had been attained.  Senator Metzen made a motion to elect Senator Rest as the new chair and Representative Beard as the new vice chair for 2009 and 2010.  Both motions passed unanimously by a voice vote, and Senator Rest assumed the chair. 

Senator Rest appointed the following members to serve on the Topic Selection Subcommittee:  Representative Hansen to serve as chair, Representative Beard, Representative Hilty, Senator Hann, Senator Robling, and herself.  Senator Rest said that she wanted to get the topic selection process started right away, with a letter from Representative Hansen to all legislative members requesting their suggestions for topics and providing a timeline for submitting them.  She also reminded the commission members that anytime in their committees that they see a bill trying to be passed for OLA to do an audit by statute, they should remind those legislators that the process is to go through the commission. 

Mr. Nobles thanked Representative Hansen for his chair during his term.  Representative Simon also thanked Representative Hansen for being an approachable, fair, and judicious chair. 

With no further business, Senator Rest adjourned the meeting at 10:23 a.m.

 

Senator Ann H. Rest, Chair

Shelly Watterud, Recording Secretary

 

Office of the Legislative Auditor, Room 140, 658 Cedar St., St. Paul, MN 55155 : legislative.auditor@state.mn.us or 651‑296‑4708