Minnesota House Republicans are calling for hearings as top management upheaval continues at the state Human Services Department. Elk River Representative Nick Zerwas says two deputy commissioners resigned but are now staying, after the chief of staff and Commissioner Tony Lourey both announced they’re leaving — amid a delayed investigation into child care assistance fraud. Zerwas says, “If this doesn’t scream for a legislative oversight hearing, I don’t know what does. The windows are open and the folks at D-H-S are just pitching taxpayer money out the door.”
Rochester Democrat Tina Liebling, chair of a key committee, says there’s no urgency for hearings now, but she’d like the fraud investigation finished “fairly soon” — certainly before the start of the next legislative session.