ST. PAUL — Lawmakers will face a new reality next week as the Minnesota House is set to return to a 67-67 tie, reverting back to co-chair committees. With their last week of a 67-66 majority, House Republicans pushed several bills on the floor, including a successful passage Monday, March 10, of whistleblower protections targeting fraud, waste and abuse.

Sen. Nicole Mitchell, DFL-Woodbury, spoke on her own behalf during an Ethics Committee hearing this week, asking for the chamber to allow her trial on a burglary charge to play out before making any decision about her position in the Senate.

Whistleblower protections

The Minnesota House passed a bill Monday to strengthen whistleblower protections, specifically in regard to anyone raising a flag on possible fraud, waste or abuse of state money.

The bill ( HF23 ), authored by Rep. Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, enhances existing state protections by extending coverage to all state employees rather than just classified workers. It also broadens the scope of protected agencies to include law enforcement and government entities and explicitly makes the reporting of fraud or misuse of authority a protected disclosure.

“We already have a pretty robust whistleblower protection law, but it doesn't specifically provide protection for fraud, waste and abuse," Robbins said on the floor Monday.

The bill also adds a provision to protect reports of personal gain, defined as benefitting a person; that person's spouse, dependent or...

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