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3 golden objects Minnesota Legislature

Office of the Legislative Auditor

Legislative Audit Commission

Evaluation Subcommittee
Minutes

April 7, 2020

Members Present: Members Absent:
Representative Connie Bernardy, Chair   Senator Mary Kiffmeyer
Representative Rick Hansen Senator Mark W. Koran
Representative Duane Quam  
Senator Nick A. Frentz  

 

LAC Members Present:
Senator Michelle Benson

 

Representative Connie Bernardy, Chair, called the Legislative Audit Commission (LAC) Evaluation Subcommittee to order at 1:35 p.m. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the stay-at-home and social distancing guidelines in place for the state of Minnesota, this meeting was held using the Zoom conferencing web application. Chair Bernardy briefly explained how the process for this meeting method would work. Chair Bernardy then introduced Judy Randall, Deputy Legislative Auditor, Program Evaluation Division, Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA).

Ms. Randall explained that this meeting would review the survey results gauging legislators’ interest in the 16 topics that had been chosen at the previous Evaluation Subcommittee meeting. She added that normally, there would have been one more meeting to narrow those topics from 16 down to 10, but that due to the current pandemic, one less meeting was being held. As a result, she said, this meeting would narrow the topic list from 16 down to 5 topics to recommend for approval by the full Legislative Audit Commission. Ms. Randall then went through the current list of 16 topics and explained which of the topics would be the most promising and least promising for an OLA program evaluation, which ones would have the most value for the Legislature, and which ones were rated most highly in the legislative survey.

Representative Hansen then made a motion to move the topics of Child Protection Removals and Reunifications, Collaborative Urban and Greater Minnesota Educators of Color Program, and Driver Examination Stations as three topics to select for the full Legislative Audit Commission’s approval. Two other topics were left open for discussion.

Chair Bernardy asked if there was further discussion. Further discussion took place among the members. Ms. Randall then clarified that DNR Special Revenue Funds and Trunk Highway Funding are both topics on which the Financial Audit Division will be conducting financial audits. However, Ms. Randall added that if the members’ questions about those topics were going to be broader-based, then perhaps the topics would be suitable for program evaluations.

Chair Bernardy then took the vote on the topics that Representative Hansen had moved. The votes were:

  • Representative Connie Bernardy, Chair, voted yes.
  • Representative Rick Hansen voted yes.
  • Representative Duane Quam voted no.
  • Senator Nick A. Frentz voted yes.
  • Senator Michelle Benson voted yes.

It is noted here that Senator Benson, although a member of the Legislative Audit Commission, is not a member of the Evaluation Subcommittee, and in this case, her vote was not counted.

The motion prevailed.

Chair Bernardy then asked if there was a motion for the next two topics.

Senator Benson then recommended that the subcommittee approve The Board of Cosmetology as the fourth topic selected for the full Legislative Audit Commission’s approval. Chair Bernardy asked if there was further discussion.

Upon no further discussion, Chair Bernardy then took the vote on the topic. The votes were:

  • Representative Connie Bernardy, Chair, voted yes.
  • Representative Rick Hansen voted yes.
  • Representative Duane Quam voted no.
  • Senator Nick A. Frentz voted yes.
  • Senator Michelle Benson voted yes.

It is noted here that Senator Benson, although a member of the Legislative Audit Commission, is not a member of the Evaluation Subcommittee, and in this case, her vote was not counted.

Chair Bernardy then made a motion for MnDOT Contract and Employment Goals to become the fifth topic for the full Legislative Audit Commission’s approval. Further discussion took place among members.

Chair Bernardy then took the vote on the topic. The votes were:

  • Representative Connie Bernardy, Chair, voted yes.
  • Representative Rick Hansen voted yes.
  • Representative Duane Quam voted no.
  • Senator Nick A. Frentz voted yes.
  • Senator Michelle Benson voted no.

It is noted here that Senator Benson, although a member of the Legislative Audit Commission, is not a member of the Evaluation Subcommittee, and in this case, her vote was not counted.

Ms. Randall then read through the five topics to have them officially recorded. They were:

  • Board of Cosmetology
  • Child Protection Removals and Reunifications
  • Collaborative Urban and Greater Minnesota Educators of Color Program
  • Driver Examination Stations
  • MnDOT Contract and Employment Goals

With no further business before the subcommittee, Chair Bernardy adjourned the meeting at 2:03 p.m.

Representative Connie Bernardy, Evaluation Subcommittee Chair

Maureen Garrahy, Recording Secretary

 

Mentioned

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