♪♪ >> Mary: WELL, FEDERAL FUNDING IS AFFECTING A LOT OF ASPECTS OF STATE GOVERNMENT AND WE'VE GOT A.I.

AND I.T.

AND LUCKY WE HAVE THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMMISSIONER, TAREK TOMES.

SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FEDERAL KIND OF FALLOUT.

HOW IS IT AFFECTING YOUR WORLD AND YOUR SLICE?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO REALLY BE ABLE TO REACT AND PIVOT QUITE QUAKE QUICKLY TO THE FRANTIC CHANGES THAT WE'RE SEEING FROM A FEDERAL PERSPECTIVE.

AND EVERYTHING FROM PROGRAM CHANGES TO FUNDING CHANGES, WE HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT MAY HAVE FEDERAL FUNDING ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

SO IT'S A REALLY DYNAMIC SPACE.

A LITTLE BIT UNNERVING.

>> Mary: ACCESS TO THE FUNDING IS ELECTRONIC, TOO, THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING FROM VARIOUS STATE AGENCIES.

SO DOES DEPARTMENT OF AG REACH OUT AND SAY, HEY, I CAN'T GET AT THIS GRANT, WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

>> YEAH, NO, THOSE FUNDING STREAMS ARE ELECTRONIC, AND THE AGENCIES NAVIGATE THOSE FUNDING STREAMS INDIVIDUALLY.

EARLY ON IN THE ADMINISTRATION, THERE WAS A BRIEF PERIOD WHERE THERE WAS CERTAINLY A DISCONTINUATION THAT, YOU KNOW, WAS QUICKLY RECTIFIED.

BUT SO MANY PROGRAMS THAT GET DELIVERED FROM A STATE PERSPECTIVE, ULTIMATELY IMPACT MINNESOTANS AT A COUNTY, CITY, YOU KNOW, TOWNSHIP, TRIBAL NATION PERSPECTIVE, RELY ON FEDERAL FUNDING AS IT RELATES TO SOMETIMES THE CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS THOSE SERVICES.

AND, SO, THE IMPACT IS QUITE PRONOUNCED, QUITE LARGE.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT SECURITY AND ACCESS?

SO MUCH WAS RAISED RIGHT AWAY BY DOGE COMING IN AND NON-- AND NONELECTED OFFICIALS HAVING ACCESS, WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, COULD STATE INFORMATION, OUR PERSONAL INFORMATION BE AT RISK AT ALL WITH WHAT'S GOING ON FEDERALLY?

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE ROBABLY, FROM A DETAIL PERSPECTIVE KNOW AS MUCH AS WHAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS, THAT THERE'S WIDESPREAD, YOU KNOW, DATA SHARING AND DATA ACCESS.

AND YOU EXPECT AS THE PUBLIC EXPECTS FROM US IN MINNESOTA, YOU EXPECT AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL THAT PEOPLE ARE FOLLOWING REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AS IT RELATES TO -- >> Mary: YOU KNOW MORE THAN THE AVERAGE CITIZEN, THOUGH, ABOUT THIS TOPIC.

I'M JUST GOING TO PUSH YOU ON THAT, YEAH.

YOU HAVE A LOT OF LIFE EXPERIENCE IN THIS BEFORE THIS JOB.

>> NO, NO, ABSOLUTELY, FOR SURE.

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL VALUES FOR US IS PROTECTING MINNESOTANS' DATA.

AND YOU EXPECT THAT AT ALL LAYERS OF GOVERNMENT, THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY RESPONSIBLE WITH DATA PRIVACY AND REALLY PROTECTING DATA AND MAKING SURE THAT DATA SHARING AND AGREEMENTS AND THAT THERE'S TRANSPARENCIES RELATED TO ACCESS FOR THAT DATA.

BUT CERTAINLY THERE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE ABUNDANT CONCERNS.

I THINK IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, WE ALWAYS HAVE TO REALLY DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO MAKE THE PUBLIC FEEL THAT THAT TRUST IS SOMETHING THAT WE HOLD REALLY NEAR AND DEAR AND IT'S REALLY SACRED FOR US.

>> Mary: WHAT ABOUT STATE DOLLARS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT'S A BUDGET YEAR, THE LEGISLATURE HAS TO BALANCE THE BUDGET.

THE GOVERNOR'S GOING TO BE ANNOUNCING HIS REVISED SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET LATER THIS WEEK.

HOW ARE THE BUDGET NUMBERS LOOKING FOR YOU IN YOUR AREA?

>> YOU KNOW, FOR US, THERE'S SO MUCH THAT WE'RE DOING TO DELIVER ON THE CRITICAL PORTIONS OF THE GOVERNOR'S LAST BUDGET THAT WAS AGREED UPON WITH THE LEGISLATURE, CRITICAL WORK HAPPENING AT THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES, AND, O, THERE'S SO MUCH EXECUTION AND WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON DELIVERING ON THOSE PROGRAMS THAT THE LEGISLATURE AND THE GOVERNOR -- >> Mary: NEW FUNDING, NEW POSITIONS STILL NEEDED TO GET THE POSITIONS UP AND RUNNING?

>> FUNDING EXISTS FOR THOSE POSITIONS.

CERTAINLY AS NEW PROGRAMS ARE IMPLEMENTED, WE CAREFULLY ASSESS, YOU KNOW, FUNDING AS IT RELATES TO THAT.

AND THERE'S A REALLY HUGE FOCUS ON JUST THE WAY WE WORK TOGETHER WITH COUNTIES AND CITIES AND TRIBAL NATIONS AS IT RELATES TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES, LIKE MAYBE IN THE CHILD WELFARE SPACE, AND JUST REALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE CONNECT CLOSELY AS THE DELIVERY REALLY IS A CONTINUUM OF ALL THOSE ENTITIES IN THE MODERNIZATION OF TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT THAT IS A HUGE, HUGE FACTOR IN WHAT WE'RE DOING.

>> Mary: THE LEGISLATURE'S TALKING A LOT ABOUT WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE.

WE JUST HAD A UILTY VERDICT IN THE FEEDING OUR FUTURE, WHICH WAS FEDERAL MONEY COMING TO THE STATE IN GRANTS GOING OUT.

THERE'S BEEN TALK, EVEN SOME LEGISLATION ABOUT A.I.

TO ROOT OUT WASTE, FRAUD AND ABUSE.

HOW REALISTIC IS THAT?

ARE WE READY FOR THAT?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>> I THINK IT'S INCREDIBLY REALISTIC.

WE HAVE TO BE READY FOR IT.

YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IN OUR PERSONAL LIVES, IF WE HAVE SUSPICIOUS BE CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY WE MIGHT GET A TEXT MESSAGE OR NOTIFICATION FROM OUR CREDIT CARD COMPANY THAT SAYS, HEY, IS THIS REALLY DID YOU?

DID YOU LOCAL MAKE THAT CHARGE?

REALLY HEADACHE THAT CHARGE?

-- MAKE THAT CHARGE?

ORGANIZATIONS, PRIVATE SECTOR HAVE MOVED FROM THE RETROACTIVE TO THE PREEMPTIVE MODE AND TECHNOLOGY'S AT THE ROOT OF IT.

ANALYZING TRANSACTIONS, THEN FLAGGING FOR PEOPLE'S SUSPICIOUS TRANSACTIONS SO YOU CAN INVESTIGATE OR POTENTIALLY TAKE ACTION.

AND THOSE CAPABILITIES ARE VERY REAL.

SO WE'RE VERY EAGER TO PARTNER WITH PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS, WHETHER ONES THAT HAVE EXPERIENCE IN THE RETAIL SPACE OR IN THE BANKING SPACE THAT REALLY BRING THOSE LAYERS TO GOVERNMENT AS WELL.

>> Mary: SO INTERESTING.

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR