Greetings,
It’s been another busy and eventful week in St. Paul. I hope you weren’t slowed down too much by the snowfall earlier in the week.
Tax Conformity Update
House File 2, federal tax conformity, was passed by the Senate Thursday and signed into law by the Governor today. I am happy to see some tax relief already passed and signed into law this early in session. I look forward to supporting greater relief later this year.
REAL ID Compliance
Background:
This week, The Civil Law and Data Practices Policy Committee took up House File 3, which puts Minnesota in compliance with a federal law, known as the REAL ID Act. The U.S. Congress passed REAL ID in 2005 with the intention to make it more difficult for potential terrorists to obtain a fraudulent identification card.
Issues If Not Compliant:
The state of Minnesota needs to be in compliance by January 22, 2018. If the state is not compliant by then, Minnesotans will not be able to board planes, and visit military bases and buildings.
Process Going Forward:
Minnesotans are counting on the Legislature and the Governor to act. The Legislature attempted to solve this issue last session, but was unsuccessful in doing so. I am happy that this an immediate priority for the House of Representatives at the start of this session.
If you do not want to wait for state action, you can visit the DMV and apply for an Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL), which will work the same as a REAL ID.
Health Insurance Reform Update
Review:
House File 1, The 2017 Health Care Emergency Aid and Access bill, began going through the committee process this week after the House didn’t have enough votes to be able to suspend the rules and take up the bill on a state of urgency last week.
Process Going Forward:
The bill has now been broken down into several parts and traveling its way through the committee process. I look forward to it reaching the floor of the House for a vote next week, so we can get people the premium relief they need and start enacting long-term reforms to the market. However, to greatly reform the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, we must wait on the actions of the new Congress and the President-Elect.
It was great to meet and get to know some of the new members these past 2 weeks. Here I am mentoring a first term representative from Dakota County, Rep. Regina Barr.
If you know of anyone who would like to receive future email updates, forward this email to them and have them sign up here. Also, if you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding any issue related to state government, please feel free to contact me at either 651-296-7808 or rep.tim.odriscoll@house.mn.
Sincerely,
