The Capitol Note: Federal HHS to audit MNsure

1) Another audit of MNsure has been teed up. This time, it’s from the feds, Minnesota Public Radio reports.

A subset of the federal Department of Health and Human Services will review Minnesota’s exchange to ensure that people who purchased private coverage through the marketplace fell within specific federally designated parameters.

“Our understanding is that it’s part of a national audit requested by Congress,” MNsure Spokesman Joe Campbell said. “The OIG is currently wrapping up an audit of the federal exchange, the report’s due out in about a month. And so we expect this to be a similar type of evaluation that was done for the federal exchange.”

2) Republicans are eyeing nearly 20 seats in the state House as in play this fall in a bid to make up the seven-seat gap that separates them from the majority in the lower chamber, MinnPost reports.

The House Republicans have about $618,000 in cash, while Democrats — who control all of state government — have more than $1 million. They’ve also identified at least five Republican districts they feel could swing DFL this year.

“There’s a lot of seats out there that we feel are competitive,” House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, said. “We try to not look at it as a broad picture but look at it in each district, and I think we feel very good about where we are.”

3) The state Independence Party is fielding Eaganite Paula Overby as its candidate in the Second Congressional District to face off against incumbent Republican Rep. John Kline and Democrat Mike Obermueller.

Kline has held the seat for more than a decade. Though born a man, Overby has since identified as a woman, a self-described first in Minnesota politics.

COMINGS & GOINGS

• Republican gubernatorial candidate Marty Seifert announced the selection of his campaign chairman on Monday, introducing Rep. Denny McNamara, R-Hastings, to helm the committee position. McNamara, a six-term representative, replaces former legislators Jim Knoblach, who is leaving the campaign post to focus on his bid to regain a St. Cloud-area legislative seat.
• DFL U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan‘s official campaign kick-off event will take place this Saturday at the Nisswa Community Center, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Beer and bratwurst will be served for supporters; suggested donation $25. RSVP to [email protected].
• Republican Bruce Lundeen has registered to run a legislative campaign in House District 62A, one of several districts where the candidate filing period was reopened due to a late withdrawal. Lundeen, a former state Senate candidate who owns heating and air conditioning company, will run against Rep. Susan Allen, DFL-Minneapolis, in one of the state’s most liberal districts.
• A fundraiser for GOP legislative candidate Barb Sutter is scheduled for this Wednesday evening in Edina. Sutter is running against incumbent Rep. Paul Rosenthal, DFL-Edina, who is in his second non-consecutive term. Several Republican legislators will be on hand for the event, including Reps. Tara Mack (Apple Valley), Joe Hoppe (Chaska) and Tim Kelly (Red Wing). Suggested donation $100; RSVP to [email protected]. More information here.
• A trio of Minnesota memorial services have been arranged to recognize the life and achievements of former DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar, who died last month. One service will be held at the University of Minnesota in the Cowles auditorium, where Oberstar will be honored starting at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday June 26. Another service will be held the following day in the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center, beginning at 1:00 p.m.; later that evening, beginning at 6:00 p.m., a memorial service will be held at the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Chisholm.