Minnesota Lawmakers to Review State Government Remote Work Policies

Earlier this year, two emergency communications managers left their leadership roles with Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety (DPS).

One of the departing employees, Sandi Stroud, resigned in May, after spending the previous eight months working remotely in Virginia Beach, Va.

The other state employee, Dana Wahlberg, retired roughly two months earlier. Wahlberg, the former director of Minnesota’s Emergency Communications Network, a division of DPS, had approved the arrangement that enabled Stroud to continue serving as the state’s 911 program manager after moving to Virginia Beach in 2023.

According to the St. Paul-based ABC affiliate KSTP, Wahlberg’s decision to allow Stroud to work more than 1,300 miles from the DPS office “raised questions,” even though Stroud was not accused of violating any state policies.

For example, KSTP reported that some state and local leaders said the arrangement prompted larger questions “about where and when state employees should be allowed to work remotely outside of Minnesota.”

Now, KSTP reports that Minnesota House Republicans “are pledging to reform state policies for government employees working remotely out of state,” and have started by contacting a number of state departments in search of information regarding remote workers.

KSTP notes that lawmakers have sent letters to the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Administration and the Department of Corrections, requesting the number of the department’s employees working remotely out of state, and the number of staffers who are considered fully remote.

According to KSTP, an amendment introduced in May would have required all DPS employees to have a primary residence within Minnesota or a bordering state. That amendment did not make it off the House floor, but Rep. Paul Novotny told KSTP that he expects House Republicans to introduce similar legislation when they return to the state capitol next month, in addition to asking state departments for information about unfilled positions that were previously authorized by the legislature.

“If we’re not using money efficiently … if we can do it with less people,” Novotny told the media outlet, “having these conversations is the only way we’re going to find out.”