Minnesota
Minnesota study finds fault with state agencies over pay adjustments
Yet another shortcoming of financial control has been found in Minnesota’s state government.
In a report released this week, the Office of the Legislative Auditor found that three state departments and Minnesota Management and Budget made mistakes in payments they made to employees to compensate them retroactively for raises they were due under a new labor contract.
As a result, many of the employees received inadequate compensation that took more than six months to recover, according to the OLA. In 30% of the cases that were found to be in error, the mistakes were not corrected. The OLA also found some employees were overpaid.
The report, now the third one within the past month uncovering financial management inadequacies in the state government, highlights limitations in the state’s payroll system, poor communication among state agencies, and an inability of those agencies to make payments to employees accurately and in a timely fashion.
The departments that were audited include the state Departments of Corrections, Commerce, Natural Resources and Public Safety, and the audit focused on payments made between July 1, 2021, and June 7, 2022, following a labor agreement between those agencies and the Minnesota Law Enforcement Association.
According to the report, the overall conclusions of the audit were:
- Minnesota Management and Budget did not have adequate internal controls over the parameters it established for the payroll system’s retroactive pay adjustment calculations.
- The Department of Commerce complied with the legal requirements related to the retroactive pay adjustments that the OLA tested and had adequate internal controls to ensure compliance with those legal requirements.
- The Departments of Corrections, Natural Resources, and Public Safety did not comply with the legal requirements related to the retroactive pay adjustments the OLA tested. Those departments also did not have adequate internal controls to ensure compliance with the legal requirements.
The OLA audit found those agencies either miscalculated or failed to resolve incorrect payments for 983 Minnesota Law Enforcement Association members of those agencies. This includes approving retroactive payments that the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Natural Resources knew were inaccurate for 234 employees.
The inaccurate payment totals for each agency range from $258 at the Department of Corrections to $28,911 at the Department of Public Safety.
While the payment totals are minuscule compared to payroll totals at each agency, the report comes on the heels of two OLA audits released earlier this year detailing mismanaged state agencies, including $250 million in fraud due to a lack of oversight by the Minnesota Department of Education regarding a food program and $205 million in unverified payments to people through a Frontline Worker Pay bonuses program in 2023.
When performing its audits, the OLA usually finds that an agency can improve a process, according to Deputy Legislative Auditor Lori Leysen. She said she could not think of a report her office released in the past few years that didn’t have at least one issue, though the severity levels have differed.
“Our job is to really show where there are areas for improvement and to try to help the government find ways to make those improvements,” Leysen said.
In its report, the OLA recommended agencies adhere to legal requirements, fix inaccurate payments when known and strengthen internal controls.
Also included in the report are responses from four of the five audited agencies that agreed with the OLA’s report and said they would follow the recommendations.
A response from the Department of Commerce, which was found in compliance, was not included in the report.
The report will also be presented to the Legislative Audit Commission on Thursday, July 25, at 10 a.m. and livestreamed on YouTube.
OLA Retroactive Payments Report by Mark Wasson on Scribd
Does The NWSL Know What Soccer Fans Actually Want? | Full Time PodcastWelcome to Full Time, a show about women’s soccer.
In this episode, Meg and Tamerra dive into the world of NWSL fan supporter groups. As the NWSL is coveting new eyeballs and growth, an announcement that the league would be establishing a “league supporter’s group” as a sponsorship collaboration with an energy drink named Unwell, has sparked questions and concern among fan led groups – who have been on the ground building the league for over a decade now.
Full Time hosts Tamerra Griffin and Meg Linehan discuss tension in the relationship between the league and its supporters. With the help of voices from four different NWSL supporter’s groups from across the country, Tamerra and Meg unpack what values are most important to key community stakeholders and where the NWSL might well be falling short.
Thumbnail credit: Roy K. Miller/ISI Photos / Contributor / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images and Rodin Eckenroth / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images Chapter descriptions: ————
#nwsl #uswnt #wsl
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Subscribe to the Full Time newsletter to get all the latest women’s soccer news straight to your inbox every Tuesday: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/newsletters/full-time/ Get in touch: fulltime@theathletic.com
Follow on Instagram and TikTok: @tafulltime
Catch the full episodes of Full Time right here 🎙️👇
00:00 Intro
00:13 What is a supporters group?
02:49 Guest introductions
05:06 What do supporters groups do?
08:02 Who are supporters groups for?
13:38 Growth & Tension
16:02 The need for a third space for fans
20:11 Is the NWSL doing enough to protect fans?
31:16 Outro
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The women’s NCAA Tournament bracket has been revealed, and Minnesota fans can enjoy watching their team’s March Madness run begin at home.
Minnesota will be hosting an NCAA Tournament regional, playing up to two games on its home court during the first weekend of March Madness.
Minnesota is back in the big dance after last qualifying in 2018.
Shop Minnesota Regional women’s basketball tickets
Minnesota played well enough during the regular season to earn a No. 4 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, and a top four seed in the Sacramento 2 region, and will host during the opening weekend of the tournament.
Here is everything you need to know in order to buy Minnesota women’s March Madness tickets.
Minnesota women’s March Madness opponent
Minnesota earned a No. 4 seed in the Sacramento 2 Region. It will take on No. 13 Green Bay in its opening game.
Minnesota women’s March Madness regional teams
Minnesota, along with Green Bay, No. 5 Ole Miss and No. 12 Gonzaga will play in Minneapolis for the first and second rounds of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
Shop Minnesota Regional women’s basketball tickets
Minnesota women’s March Madness Regional basketball tickets
Limited Minnesota women’s regional NCAA Tournament tickets are still available. Get your Minnesota women’s March Madness tickets today as they start their NCAA Tournament on home court.
More March Madness: Everything fans need to know about the 2026 NCAA Tournament
Minnesota March Madness game schedule
Minnesota will take on Green Bay on Friday, March 20 . The game is scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. ET. Shop Minnesota vs. Green Bay tickets now.
Shop Minnesota Regional women’s basketball tickets
Minnesota March Madness game locations
Minnesota will play its Round of 64 and potential Round of 32 games in Minneapolis .
Limited tickets for the first weekend of March Madness in the twin cities are available. Shop your Minnesota NCAA Tournament Tickets now.
Minnesota best NCAA Tournament result
Minnesota’s best result in the NCAA Tournament: Reached Final Four in 2004.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Minnesota lawmakers have introduced a bill to repeal Cesar Chavez Day in the state after the civil rights leader was accused of sexual abuse.
Cesar Chavez Day could be repealed
What they’re saying:
Minnesota State Representative María Isa Pérez-Vega (DFL-St. Paul) introduced the bill to repeal Cesar Chavez Day in the state.
She says the bill comes after a New York Times investigation shed light on sexual abuse and “predatory behavior” by Chavez against women and girls, including his co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association, Dolores Huerta.
In the New York Times investigation, two other women came forward saying Chavez sexually abused them when they were minors.
READ MORE: Dolores Huerta issues statement amid César Chávez scandal: ‘My silence ends here’
“The pain and trauma survivors carry is a weight that can’t be erased by replacing signs and names on buildings or repealing this state holiday, but it’s a step forward for healing,” said Rep. Pérez-Vega. “The harm has been done; the only way forward is believing survivors, providing resources for their healing, and staying committed to the fight for every victim silenced by sexual assault.”
“The New York Times report yesterday was horrifying and deeply troubling,” said House DFL Leader Zack Stephenson. “We believe women who come forward in these difficult situations, and this is yet another example of men in a position of power taking advantage of women. We have a responsibility to hear these stories and act. House DFLers are prepared to move quickly to pass this legislation, and I’m grateful to Representative Pérez-Vega for bringing this bill forward.”
The other side:
The Minnesota House GOP say they are “absolutely in support of renaming Cesar Chavez Day” and look forward to passing the bill as soon as possible.
Are you or someone you know a recent survivor of sexual assault? Help is available. Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) provides a 24/7 national sexual assault hotline, which can be reached at 1-800-656-4673
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