April 28, 2025
Senator D. Scott Dibble, Chair, called the Legislative Audit Commission (LAC) Evaluation Subcommittee meeting to order at 8:03 a.m. in 123 State Capitol. All members were present. The purpose was to narrow topics for the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) to evaluate in 2025 to five, to recommend to the LAC for final approval.
Chair Dibble introduced Jodi Munson Rodríguez, Deputy Legislative Auditor, who covered the materials in members’ packets and reminded members that the LAC had voted to change its topic selection process, so that it would now select topics twice each year. She added that the LAC could select topics to satisfy the requirements to select (1) one board, committee, council, or authority or advisory task force of the executive branch, and (2) one follow-up to a program evaluation that was completed at least five years prior, now or during the fall selection process.
Chair Dibble asked for members’ comments. Members discussed the legislative survey results and where some of the topics ranked against the selection criteria. Senator Drazkowski motioned to have the Office of Ombudsperson for Families and the Voter Registration System (Office of the Secretary of State focus) chosen to meet each of the two requirements listed above.
After further discussion and ongoing review of rankings and criteria, Senator Drazkowski withdrew his motion and offered a new motion to adopt the Office of Ombudsperson for Families, the Minnesota Board of Public Defense, and the Voter Registration System for final consideration. Chair Dibble asked Senator Drazkowski if he would be open to amending his motion to include the Board of Animal Health (BAH) Oversight of Companion Animals, or if he would rather leave it off for further discussion. Senator Drazkoski said he would prefer to have BAH left for further discussion and renewed his motion. With that, Chair Dibble asked for a roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously.
Since the two selection requirements had been met, discussion turned to other topics members would like to see selected. Senator Rest made a motion that the Minnesota Department of Health: Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facilities Licensing topic be selected. Upon a roll call vote, the motion passed unanimously.
Chair Dibble then called upon Representative Lee, who said that the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (WQCP) had ranked high the previous year and was again on this year’s list as a topic with high legislative interest. Representative Lee motioned to select the WQCP topic. Senator Rest asked for a friendly amendment to the motion to include the BAH topic, with the understanding that BAH could start in the fall. Representative Lee accepted the amendment. Senator Drazkowski then asked if Senator Rest would be willing to accept an amendment to her amendment to include Automatic Voter Registration (with a Department of Public Safety focus), also to begin in the fall. Senator Rest said yes to the amendment, and Representative Lee said yes to both amendments to his motion.
Chair Dibble asked for a roll call vote to accept the Minnesota Agricultural WQCP, BAH Oversight of Companion Animals, and Automatic Voter Registration topics. The motion passed unanimously.
In summary, the Evaluation Subcommittee voted to recommend seven topics to the LAC for approval:
In closing, Chair Dibble said he hoped members would also consider the Taxpayers’ Transportation Accountability Act when fall topic selection took place. Seeing no further discussion, Chair Dibble adjourned the meeting at 8:52 a.m.
Senator D. Scott Dibble, Chair
Evaluation Subcommittee
Maureen Garrahy, Recording Secretary
