Op-ed by Sheila Weinberg, "The Chicago Tribune recently exposed disturbing oversight failures in Minnesota’s federally funded programs, problems that have led to fraud investigations and federal payment freezes. But this is not unique to Minnesota. Illinois’s most recent Single Audit reveals similar systemic breakdowns in federal program oversight, showing that federal taxpayers’ money is at risk far beyond one state."

Like Minnesota, California faces serious concerns in child care oversight and other federally funded programs. The state’s 2024 Single Audit, issued in December 2025, reviews how California manages and reports on billions in federal funds. In that audit, 10 programs received qualified opinions, meaning independent auditors identified weaknesses in how the programs were run and whether federal rules were followed. These problems have led to federal payment freezes and ongoing investigations, illustrating the real-world consequences of monitoring failure.

Minnesota is now under intense scrutiny for major oversight breakdowns in federal programs, failures that a new Truth in Accounting analysis shows are far from isolated, with similar red flags already exposed in Illinois and raising serious nationwide concerns about accountability.

States face a significant loss of federal dollars as temporary pandemic-related programs that were initiated in 2020 come to an end and national fiscal pressures rise.

Paying off the obligations the state of Michigan owes public retirees and others would require each taxpayer to surrender another $4,100 to the public treasury, according to a new report from a nonprofit that analyzes state budgets. The report also warns that Michigan’s budget could face an 8% shortfall if the federal government were to reduce its financial support of Michigan to its pre-pandemic level.

llinois taxpayers in 2024 owed an average of $38,800 each, ranking No. 3 in the U.S. Illinois earned an “F” for fiscal management.

(The Center Square) – Michigan ranked 32nd nationally, according to Truth in Accounting’s 2025 “Financial State of the States” report.

On Thursday, Sept. 25, Truth in Accounting (TIA) released its annual Financial State of the States report, and once again Connecticut finds itself near the very bottom. The state earned an F, ranked 49th out of 50, and carries a per-taxpayer burden of $44,500. In simple terms, every taxpayer would have to write a check of that amount to pay off the state’s obligations today.  

(The Center Square) – Texas is among 25 states that don’t have enough money to cover their bills, according to a new report published by the nonprofit Chicago-based Truth in Accounting (TIA).

(The Center Square) – Colorado ranked 22nd nationally, according to Truth in Accounting’s 2025 “Financial State of the States” report.