Legislative Update

Greetings, 

I hope this update finds you well and you have a safe and fun Halloween if you are heading out to trick-or-treat this evening. 

Allina Health announces Plan for Owatonna Labor and Delivery Services

Thankfully and after some very good work by our Owatonna Area Chamber and Mayor Matt Jessop, Allina Health announced a plan for Owatonna labor and delivery services yesterday.

Per Allina Health, “Beginning November 17th, 2025, Allina Health providers and regional partners will provide additional labor and delivery call coverage, allowing the Owatonna Hospital Birth Center to remain open and fully operational without a service interruption. This collaborative effort ensures uninterrupted care for patients and families in the community.

In addition to immediate labor and delivery coverage, Allina Health is accelerating plans to open a dedicated Women’s Health clinic in Owatonna. The aim is to open it in early December.”

This is fantastic news for our local families and individuals!

Legislative Energy Horizon Institute Course (Part 2)

Last week, I reported from Washington, DC on my participation in the second part of our Legislative focus on Energy. As expected, this session facilitated many great Energy-related discussions and featured a powerhouse line-up of guest speakers. For the final exercise, the facilitators placed us in role of a Public Utilities Commission. Of course, in this role, we faced many challenges as we tried to keep electrical service rates low while ensuring very high standards of reliability. Of course, storm damage, construction, tax credits, and many more variables were factored into our scenarios. Each option resulted in some positive policy results at the beginning of the rate period and some lessons-learned as our exercise time progressed. Overall, it was a great course and successfully helped me better understand the role of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC).

Addressing Fraud in Minnesota

Governor Tim Walz recently announced a comprehensive audit of fourteen programs within the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) following growing concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid billing. The audit, to be conducted by Optum under a one-year, $2.3 million contract, will review high-risk programs such as Housing Stabilization Services, Personal Care Assistance, and Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services. Some of the programs to be audited have previously been flagged for fraud, such as Housing Stabilization Services. Payments for these programs may be temporarily delayed while claims are reviewed for documentation and accuracy.

The move comes after months of scrutiny over rapid cost increases and questionable claims in several DHS programs, along with widespread fraud within government programs in Minnesota. The ultimate goal is to detect fraud before payments are made, restore public confidence, and ensure that taxpayer dollars are used responsibly. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have agreed on the need for stronger oversight.

However, many legislators, such as Representative Kristin Robbins, continue to press for more work in these areas as the MN House Fraud committee continues to emphasize the need for even more accountability by our Minnesota Executive Branch agencies. We strongly believe that earlier action could have prevented the scope of misuse now being investigated. With the audit announcement, we will be diligently observing the outcomes, seeking full prosecution, and emphasizing full and complete stewardship of your tax dollars. Prevention of mismanagement and removing future opportunities for Fraud is key!

Coffee with Tom

Please feel free to join me for Coffee with Tom at the Owatonna Chamber of Commerce on Friday, November 7th at the Owatonna Chamber of Commerce from 12:00pm-1:00pm.

Our next meeting in Waseca will be on Friday, November 14th at the Waseca Chamber of Commerce. Unfortunately, due to committee and travel conflicts in October, we could not find a viable option for an October date in Waseca.

Thank you for your support and feedback!

I want to hear you

I am always here to listens to concerns or ideas of my constituents. I can be reached via email rep.tom.sexton@house.mn.gov or phone 651-296-5368. 

If you would like to contact Rep. Sexton, DO NOT reply to this email. Please reach out directly to rep.tom.sexton@house.mn.gov.