Minnesotans expect and deserve a government that is accountable to hardworking taxpayers, and works at the speed of business to deliver the services people expect. The funding proposed in Governor Dayton’s budget is targeted to help make Minnesota government work better, by cutting down on the paperwork that gets in the way of everyday life, and ensuring Minnesota state government is responsive to the people it serves. These investments will continue to improve customer service, protect Minnesotans’ data, and secure a strong financial future for our state.
Strong Cybersecurity Defenses
Every day, Minnesota state government is subjected to millions of cyberattacks that attempt to interfere with state government or illegally access your private information. Thanks to Minnesota’s team of cybersecurity experts, these attempts have been identified and prevented – so far. But as our world grows more connected, our systems need updating to ensure that Minnesotans’ private data is safe and secure. That’s why Governor Dayton wants to invest $74 million to reform our information technology infrastructure and ensure it is up-to-date, safe, and secure:
- Minnesota IT Services – Securing the State ($27M). This initiative will work to reduce the attack surface through data center consolidation, and reinforce and equip the State’s cyber-security team with additional staff, tools, and services.
- Corrections – Critical Technology Modernization ($3M). This request is for the IT funding necessary to modernize and maintain Minnesota Department of Corrections systems.
- Office of Higher Education – Cybersecurity ($2.6M). This funding would provide for an upgrade of the INGRES Database to a MS SQL server platform, which will maximize data integrity and data security
- Management & Budget – Security System & Risk Management ($18.2M). This funding would allow Minnesota to upgrade SWIFT, the state’s online financial, procurement, and reporting system, and Enterprise Learning Management to a newer version to receive accessibility updates, address software bugs, and add functionality.
- Education – Mainframe ($3.2M). This funding would allow Minnesota to move all of the Department’s active COBOL applications from the UNISYS ClearPath mainframe with DMSII databases to a Windows Server platform using a SQL Server database.
- Transportation – Cybersecurity Risk Management ($20M). This would increase the Trunk Highway Fund appropriation for cybersecurity risk management investments and agency technology projects within MnDOT.
21st Century Digital Infrastructure
Imagine using the first-ever Macintosh computer – released over 30 years ago – to send email, find a job, or do your daily work. It sounds crazy, but a lot of Minnesota’s IT infrastructure is that old, and it is tasked with processing customer service requests for Minnesotans, hosting information online in an accessible, accountable way, and supporting the work of state government. Governor Dayton wants to invest $51 million to begin the investments necessary for a modern digital infrastructure to ensure Minnesota state government works at the speed of business.
- Administration – E-Procurement & IT Support ($10M). This funding would allow the development of a modern digital procurement system, which will improve the solicitation of proposals and vendor selection, reduce delays in state purchasing, improve data analytics that drive purchasing, and promote equity in Minnesota.
- Human Services – Integrated Service Delivery System ($9M). This funding would support the ongoing development of an Integrated Service Delivery System (ISDS). Over time, this investment will replace aging technology with an integrated, people-centered service delivery system.
- Human Services – Direct Care & Treatment Electronic Health Records System ($2M). This funding would begin development of a modern electronic health record (EHR) system.
- Labor & Industry – Labor Standards Technology Modernization ($1.3M). This funding will build a solution to support enforcement and compliance efforts that provides better citizen services to the people of Minnesota. The funding will build a case management system that provides for automation, process improvements, case monitoring functionality, and trend analysis in support of strategic wage and hour investigative initiatives.
- Natural Resources – Next Generation Core Forestry Data Systems ($4M). This funding would improve and replace the collection of applications that are currently used for management of DNR-administered state forest lands.
- Nursing Board – Discipline Case Management ($1M). This funding would replace the Nursing Board’s legacy Discipline Case Management System and integrate it into the Nursing Board’s new Automated Licensing System.
- Perpich Center – Technology Initiative ($2.2M). This funding would allow for the replacement of all desktop computers, laptops, printers, and software at the Perpich Center for Arts Education.
- Physical Therapy Board – Database Enhancements ($100K). This funding would enable case managers to perform intakes and enter data in real time, thereby eliminating the need of writing and transferring written data into the database. In addition, this proposal would improve the consistency in which data is gathered the program’s ability to query data and provide meaningful reports.
- Public Safety – Predatory Offender Registration System ($4.1M). This project will redesign and develop a new predatory offender registration (POR) system to replace the legacy system, which fulfills the requirement from Minnesota Statutes, section 299C.093.
- Education – Online Individualized Education Program ($1.4M). Funding for the Online IEP System will provide an electronic alternative for districts to third party products for managing their Special Education Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process electronically.
- Higher Education – Minnesota Statewide Longitudinal Education Data System IT Infrastructure ($520K). This funding would upgrade several critical IT systems in order to improve efficiency and security of the state’s financial aid systems and agency infrastructure.
- Management & Budget – Building a 21st Century Workforce ($15M). To better attract and retain the workforce the State of Minnesota needs, this funding would create a more robust, consistent digital statewide delivery of talent management via a new division at MMB that includes a new online system for performance reviews, career planning, individual development plans, and more.