SOS - Backer Tracker
Dear friends and neighbors,
Another week at the Capitol has flown by. This week we focused on Saving Our School...SOS! Click here to watch the video below about how we must protect the future of education.
Pensions
On Tuesday, Rep. Danny Nadeau introduced two pension options including:
House File 2318 allows teachers to retire at 62 with 30 years of service without reduced benefits, costing about $77 million annually, funded by a 1% increase in employer contributions.
House File 2329 expands the Special Early Retirement option to teachers at 60 with 30 years of service, at an estimated $33 million annually, with a three-year COLA delay to manage costs.
Both of these bills were laid over for further considerations later.
House Republicans will not let teacher pensions get cut. Teachers are the backbone of our communities and our future.
EMS
This week the Minnesota Ambulance Association, rural ambulance leaders, and state legislators held a press conference to highlight the immediate and long-term state investment in Minnesota’s emergency services (EMS) system.
Ambulance services across Minnesota are facing a breaking point. EMS is a vital part of the healthcare system, but outdated funding models, and workforce shortages are threatening the availability of 911 response in both urban and rural communities.
Click here to watch the video below.
In the light of news this week about AG Ellison scheming with Feeding our Future defendants who later donated to his campaign, House Republicans voted yesterday to take HF 20 from the table and pass it to restore transparency in how the Attorney General operates. Not surprisingly, not even one Democrat voted to do the right thing, instead choosing to continuing to bury their heads in the sand.
As Rep. Hudson pointed out, this scandal broke on Wednesday with no mainstream news coverage in Minnesota. "Imagine if a Republican attorney general met with people who were suing the state, pledged support to 'fight' his own client on their behalf, and then got a bunch of contributions from them," Hudson said.
While the State Legislature is about to take a week off for Spring Break, you can rest assured that House Republicans will continue in the coming weeks, months, and years to dig into the waste, fraud, and abuse that is pervasive throughout our state government under Tim Walz's watch.
Visitors
I had an informative discussion about teachers' pensions with teachers from Fergus Falls and West Central Area Schools!
I had a great chat with some of the friendly folks at the Children's Discovery Center!
Staying in Touch
Please be sure to reach out to me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. You can contact me by phone at either 701-361-1909 (cell) or 651-296-4929 (desk). I can also be reached via email at rep.jeff.backer@house.mn. I also encourage you to follow me on Facebook www.facebook.com/repjeffbacker.
Have a good day,
Jeff