My colleague Brad Schrade has been following the fact-finding mission of Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) as she moves toward legislation "to address shortcomings in the guardian system nationwide." Last week, Schrade reported on a hearing in Washington that featured testimony from Minnesotans about problems with these court-appointed decision-makers and the 2009 reforms that improved state oversight. This week, Klobuchar convened a discussion group that included Deanna Van de North of St. Paul, who became a voice of reform after seeing her mother's health and assets disappear while under guardianship.
Minnesota courts have improved their oversight by requiring electronic reports by conservators, which will be subject to regular audits, and for the first time, some training for guardians and conservators in Hennepin, the largest judicial district, Schrade reports.
Previous Whistleblower coverage of misconduct and lapses of oversight involving guardians and conservators is available here.
