Proposed Electronic Fraud Enforcement

Stricter enforcement for electronic scam artists: That’s what Senator Ann Rest (DFL) is pushing as part of new legislation authored this past week.

Rest is teaming up with Sen. Linda Sheid (DFL) and Rep. Joel Adkins (DFL) to propose a bill that would better prevent online fraud and electronic identity theft. Rest says the bill stemmed from an incident involving one of Adkins’ constituents.

“It is very hard if you don’t have good enforcement to go after people who are stealing your identity or who are scamming you on the Internet,” Rest said.

The bill asks to give added enforcement powers to the Department of Public Safety in the alcohol and gambling enforcement division to go after electronic fraud as well. There is some activity dealing with electronic fraud in the financial crimes division, but this would expand the agency’s enforcement, Rest said. The bill, she added, would simply help the law catch up with what’s going on in the public and she says it already has a lot of bipartisan support.

“This agency’s ability to do enforcing would be a far more heavy-duty effort going after people who are doing that online," she said. "We know that people are losing thousands of dollars on it because they are naïve and they trust people, and so it gives some teeth to going after online criminals. We need to give constituents some sort of level of confidence we’re paying attention to online fraud.”

The bill has been referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.

In other proposed legislation, Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL), Rep. Steve Simon (DFL) and Rep. Michael Nelson (DFL) issued a joint press release last week that detailed three alternatives to safeguard election integrity without requiring all Minnesotans show a photo ID when voting, which is a proposed bill in the house. The alternatives include toughening penalties for election violations, broadening the moter-voter law so that people who aren’t allowed to vote can be pre-screened out of the process and expanding early voting options, including “no excuse” absentee options. 

In a joint press release, Winkler states: “Our approach avoids the huge price tag, the exclusion of honest Minnesota voters, and the logistical nightmares that the current voter ID proposal will cause. We have one of the greatest election systems in the country and we should be looking to improve upon it, not dismantle it.”

Here’s a look back at the bills authored or co-authored by Golden Valley-area legislators this past week:

Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL - District 44B)

• Co-authored a bill amending Minnesota Statutes prohibiting sprinkler requirements in single-family dwellings. HF460 was introduced on February 10 and has been referred to the Committee on Commerce and Regulatory Reform.
• Co-authored a bill amending Minnesota Statutes creating an independent authority to manage, supervise and administer Minnesota’s permanent school trust lands. HF435 was introduced on February 9 and has been referred to the Committee on Education Reform.
• Co-authored a bill amending Minnesota Statutes establishing districting principles for legislative and congressional plans, providing for appointment of a commission to recommend the boundaries for legislative and congressional districts. HF406 was introduced on February 7 and has been referred to the Committee on Redistricting.
• Co-authored a bill amending Minnesota Statues modifying health record privacy provisions. HF366 was introduced on February 7 and has been referred to the Committee on Health and Human Services Reform.   

Rep. Lyndon Carlson (DFL - District 45B)

• Co-authored a bill amending Minnesota Statutes modifying fees for transactions relating to motor vehicles and drivers’ licenses. HF347 was introduced February 3 and has been referred to the Committee on Transportation Policy and Finance.

Sen. Ron Latz (DFL - District 44)

• Proposed a bill that would establish a public residential high school for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. SF231 was introduced February 3 and has been referred to the Education Committee.
• Added as a co-author to a bill amending Minnesota Statues modifying provisions governing investigations, reviews and hearings; making the crime of criminal abuse of a vulnerable adult a registrable offense under the predatory offender registration law; changing terminology; increasing the criminal penalty for assaulting a vulnerable adult; providing criminal penalties. SF195 was introduced February 2 and has been referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.

Sen. Ann H. Rest (DFL - District 45)  

• Proposed the Senate version of HF324, authored by Rep. Lyndon Carlson, that would appropriate money for the National U.S. Junior Olympic and Disabled American Ski Center and authorize the sale and issuance of state bonds. HF324 was introduced February 2 and SF223 was introduced February 3 and has been referred to the Committee on Capital Investment.
• Co-authored a bill that would create a Tax Expenditure Advisory Commission, providing for review and sunset of tax expenditures, proposing coding for new law as Minnesota Statutes. SF220 was introduced February 3; Rest was added as an author February 7. The bill has been referred to the Taxes Committee.
• Co-authored a bill that would enhance the enforcement capability for identity theft and other fraudulent activities conducted electronically. SF227 was introduced February 3; Rest was added as an author February 7. The bill has been referred to the Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.
• Co-authored a bill that would allow for lake-wide invasive species control on public waters, exempting lake-wide invasive species control from certain permit fees. SF232 was introduced February 7; Rest was added as an author February 9. The bill has been referred to the Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
• Co-authored a bill requiring school attendance as a condition of obtaining instruction permits and drivers’ licenses for applicants under 18. SF255 was introduced February 7; Rest was added as an author February 9. The bill has been referred to the Transportation Committee.
• Co-authored a bill amending Minnesota Statutes, exempting property owned and operated by a veterans organization. SF258 was introduced February 7; Rest was added as an author February 9. The bill has been referred to the Taxes Committee.