By Rep. Paul Anderson
Facing a hard deadline of April 1, the House and Senate last Thursday both expedited passage of legislation to extend the reinsurance program in Minnesota. Language in the bill funds the program for three years and extends it for an additional two years. It had to be passed and signed by the governor in order to continue the federal waiver and receive funding that partially pays for the program.
This reinsurance extension is good news for those who purchase health insurance on the open market or through the MNsure program. Without this legislation, rates were expected to go up substantially when announced this coming October. It also makes certain there will be at least two competing health plans in every county in the state.
Minnesota was the first state in the nation to pass such a program, which helps stabilize and/or lower insurance rates by helping to pay high-dollar claims. When first put into effect in 2017, it's estimated to have lowered premiums by 10 to 15 percent.
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The highly pathogenic bird flu has hit Minnesota, with at least seven positive cases reported so far. This variant of the virus seems to be having a greater impact on wild birds than was seen during the last outbreak in 2015. For that reason, anyone who has what's called a "backyard flock" is encouraged to keep a close watch on their birds. Early symptoms include general lethargy, along with reduced feed and water intake.
I sat down last week with Minnesota's state veterinarian, Dr. Beth Thompson, and discussed the situation as it pertains to our commercial flocks, as well as the backyard variety. You can access the interview in the "News Items" section of my House website: http://www.house.mn/12B.
Minnesota is the nation's leading turkey producer, with approximately 40 million produced annually. As of this writing, in addition to the seven confirmed cases in our state, another seven were termed as "suspect." Three of those suspected cases were in Kandiyohi County.
Late last week the governor signed an executive order waiving trucking requirements and relaxing spring road postings as it pertains to hauling emergency equipment used in fighting the outbreak. A ban on poultry sales and exhibitions was also put into effect that will last until at least May 1.
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A conference committee this week is expected to take up negotiations on a $10 million drought relief package for farmers. Differing versions of the bill were passed in both chambers, but they contain sizeable differences which must be worked out. The biggest is House language giving the DNR an additional $13 million to replant trees and do other drought mitigation work. There is no such language in the Senate version.
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