Legislative Update – March 21, 2025
Dear Neighbors,
As we now officially enter spring, I hope you’re taking advantage of some of our warmer and sunnier days to enjoy the outdoors and spend time in the fantastic parks and trails our state has to offer! Here at the Capitol, legislators are continuing to work on bills as we near committee deadlines and look for places to find compromise and make progress.
I met with a Wayzata School Board member, the ICA Food shelf on Hunger Day at the Capitol, college students from my district, constituents concerned about climate change, members of the hospitality industry, the Metro Director of the Clean Energy Resource Team, and best of all, got to hold a colleague's new baby!
Last update, I previewed an upcoming town hall with Attorney General Ellison. Unfortunately, due to scheduling issues, we’ve had to postpone the event while we look for a new time. I’ll let you know when a new date is set in this newsletter and on my Official Facebook page.
The good news is that legislators are still working closely with AG Ellison to improve Minnesotans' lives, including introducing legislation to protect public funds for Medicaid from bad actors and fraudsters, which you can read about here.
House Committee Update
Starting this week, the House returned to the 67-67 tie voters delivered in November, and the previously negotiated co-governing agreement is now in effect. House committees will rotate gavels, with DFL and Republican co-chairs setting their respective agendas and bill hearings.
I’m looking forward to coming together on the places we agree and finding compromises that move our state forward. I’m already working on multiple bills that can get bipartisan support, and I’m dedicated to fighting for a responsible state budget that helps working families thrive.
In the House Energy Committee, I chaired my first hearing as co-chair, starting with a bipartisan bill sparking renewable energy innovation to create an “Energy Alley” so Minnesota can remain a clean energy leader. You can read more about the proposal, which supports new businesses, training, and professional development, and incentivizes entrepreneurship here. We also heard legislation about how we can best make use of geothermal energy to heat our homes and schools, lowering energy costs for Minnesotans.
Fighting for Prescription Drug Affordability
I’m also happy to report that the DFL is pushing three bills specifically crafted to bring down the cost of prescription drugs which were recently heard in the House Health Committee. If these were passed into law, Minnesotans would see a significant decrease in the price of the drugs they rely on, and I hope we can find common ground to pass these bills in our divided legislature.
- HF 1652 would prohibit a health plan from forcing patients to switch drugs in the middle of the year because they’re now getting a bigger rebate from the manufacturer of a competitive drug. If a patient and a doctor find a drug that works, they should be allowed to stick with that drug for the rest of the plan year.
- HF 1075 says that health plans and PBMs must use the rebates that they received when patients bought their drug to buy down their price at the pharmacy counter in the form of a “Point of Sale Rebate.” This will ensure these rebates are being used to make expensive life-saving drugs more affordable to the patients who need them.
- HF 1076 is an innovative approach not yet adopted by any other state. It requires PBMs and health plans to include the low-price drugs in their formularies and construct their formularies so that the drugs with the lowest prices for the patient (rather than the drug generating the biggest kick-backs to the insurance company) receive the best placement in their formularies. The goal of this legislation is to redirect competition away from rebates towards lower prices.
Real ID Taking Effect in May
Beginning May 7, 2025, Minnesotans 18 years of age or older will not be able to use their standard driver's license or identification card to board domestic flights or enter certain federal facilities. Instead, they will need one of three options:
- Minnesota REAL ID driver's license or identification card.
- Minnesota Enhanced driver's license or identification card.
- Other federally approved forms of identification. They are listed online here, but include:
- S. passport or passport card
- Foreign government-issued passport
- S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
- Permanent resident card
- Border crossing card
- Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
- S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
If you are not sure which license type is right for you, check out the Driver Vehicle Services’ website here.
Staying in touch
Unfortunately, due to technological constraints, replies to this newsletter won’t reach my email account. Please reach out if you have any questions or feedback you would like to share.
You can contact me by email at rep.patty.acomb@house.mn.gov or call my office during business hours at (651) 296-9934.
Sincerely,
Patty Acomb
State Representative