Dear Neighbor,
Hello from the House, where this week we have good news to report on legislation I’ve authored to provide signage for Automated External Defibrillator locations in our state.
Here’s the latest on that and more from the Capitol:
AED bill ready for floor
My bipartisan AED bill (H.F. 1290) passed Ways and Means on Monday, its last stop in the committee process. That means it is now available for a vote of approval from the full House at any time.
There are currently 240 AEDs available to the public at schools, businesses and other places around the state, with more on the way. Timing is crucial in emergencies and, currently, people might not be aware these life-saving devices are nearby if a situation calls for one. Signage would help raise public awareness of their locations, and entities are even willing to foot the bill, so this won’t even come at an additional cost to taxpayers. It’s a win-win and I hope we approve this bill soon. (Click the above image for video of me presenting this bill in Ways and Means, starting around the 20-minute mark.)
St. Cloud Children’s Museum
Thanks to the folks from the Greater Minnesota Children’s Museum Coalition who recently took time to meet with me. They are getting ready for a grand opening to take place in the coming months for their new Great River Children’s Museum in St. Cloud. I’m excited to visit this new local attraction once it opens and see the benefits it provides our local economy.
Teacher pensions
Our state is experiencing a shortage of teachers and changes are needed to help recruit and retain them. House Republicans are working to deliver Minnesota teacher pension reforms that offer flexibility and security while also ensuring the long-term health of our pension programs.
House Republicans conducted a press conference this week to highlight three bills we have authored to make improvements. I am personally authoring two of the bills, which include:
- H.F. 2318 (I’m a co-author) 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.
- H.F 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.
- H.F. 1582 (I’m a co-author) allows teachers to retire upon reaching age 60 with 30 years of experience and cost 240 million annually.
The latter two bills have bipartisan authors. By all rights, this issue should have been addressed to help our teachers back when the state had an $18 billion surplus in 2023. Instead, the former party in control dropped the ball and chose to spend that money other ways while increasing the state budget by 40 percent. Now, we are trying to find a solution in the face of a $6 billion shortfall.
Veterans Day on the Hill
It was great to see a fantastic turnout for Veterans Day on the Hill at the Capitol this week. Thanks to all the men and women of our armed forces, past and present, for all your work to protect our great nation!
Rural ambulances
House Republicans also conducted a press conference this week to discuss how we can better support our rural ambulance system that is on the brink of collapsing. House Republicans successfully gained $30 million in one-time EMS funding for rural ambulance providers last year, but that was just enough to keep them afloat. Now we need to work on keeping them viable for the long haul.
Again, the former party in power missed a golden opportunity to address this issue when our state had an $18 billion surplus. House Republicans will continue supporting this key component of public safety, doing our best to make sure our rural ambulance providers have the resources they need to do their crucial jobs.
We’ll see how these and other important issues shake out between now and our May 19 deadline to adjourn.
Helpful House links
Here are some links you may find helpful in following the latest goings on at the Capitol:
Please Contact Me
It’s an honor and privilege to work for you at the Capitol. Don’t hesitate to contact my office at any time this session to share your thoughts, concerns or ideas. You can call me at 651-296-6316, or email me at rep.bernie.perryman@house.mn.gov. I am here to serve you!
Bernie
