 Friends and neighbors, Minnesotans elected even numbers of Democrats and Republicans to the Minnesota House. This means that no bill can become law this session without bipartisan support. Unfortunately, the Republican members don’t seem to have accepted this reality. This year’s legislative session can be thought of in phases: Phase one, Jan 14-Feb 6, saw Republicans refusing to honor the will of the voters and pretending they could run the Minnesota House without Democrats. After a Supreme Court decision and a hard-won power-sharing agreement let Republicans hold the speakership for two years with majorities on all committees while they hold a one-seat advantage in the Minnesota House, we are in phase two. This Republican control phase is expected to last until a March 11 special election in a strongly DFL district brings the House back to an even balance. Phase three will be true power sharing and bipartisan action. Republicans brought their first bill to the House floor on Feb 20, a bill that would allow partisan and corporate interests to paw through investigative and other private data at the Office of the Attorney General. In the Judiciary and Civil Law Committee--where I am currently the Lead Democrat--I advised Republican Rep. Harry Niska that the bill would not get 68 votes as written, but that Democrats were interested in working with him to improve it. Instead of accepting that offer, Republicans rushed the bill to the House floor only to see it fail. Legislators all know that the regular session ends on May 19, but Republicans are wasting their five weeks of control largely on a partisan agenda that will never become law. Crafting a bipartisan budget will take time and serious work. There is no time to waste. My Legislation Last week, I introduced two bills that would reduce the power of private insurance companies over Minnesota’s healthcare system. HF 255 reverses the state’s system of turning over our public health care programs to private insurance companies as it now does for 85% of enrollees. These programs cover about 1 in 5 Minnesotans. The change would save taxpayer dollars while giving better care to enrollees and a simpler, fairer way for providers to get paid. The money saved could be used to raise payments rates for those who provide care. Senator John Marty is the Senate sponsor. HF 1093 is a smaller version of the same idea. It would take just the pharmacy portion of public programs out of the hands of the private insurers and their Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) and move it all to the Minnesota Department of Human Services. This would reduce administrative burdens for care providers and pharmacies, pay fair fees to independent pharmacies to help them survive, and save millions of taxpayer dollars. I was pleased to see that the governor also included this proposal in his recommended budget, so it has a better chance to become law. The bill also encourages the commissioner to look for ways to let other Minnesotans who are not on public programs take advantage of the program. The best way our state can bring down prescription prices is to use our collective buying power. Avian Flu (H5N1) With funding freezes and government websites being ordered by the Trump Administration to scrub public health information, it’s important to be vigilant and seek trustworthy sources of information on matters of public health. Avian flu has been of growing concern across the country. Before Trump was inaugurated, the CDC issued recommendations to stay safe from exposure. You can still find the latest local data and resources through the Minnesota Department of Health. Stay Connected Unfortunately, due to technological constraints, replies to this newsletter won’t reach my email account. To share your input or ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance, please feel free to reach out by email at Rep.Tina.Liebling@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-0573. You can contact my Legislative Assistant, Krysta, at 651-296-7173 or via email at Krysta.Niedernhofer@house.mn.gov. If you call or email, please include your street address so I’ll know if you live in my legislative district. It is an honor and a privilege to represent you at the Capitol. Warmly, Tina Liebling, State Representative |