Dear Neighbor,
Thank you to the large number of people from the district who continue visiting St. Paul to advocate on behalf of numerous issues. This week, I was pleased to meet with school officials from Bemidji, Bagley and Walker to talk about education. The feedback I received is much appreciated and will be helpful as we consider proposals this session.
On a separate educational note, I am signing on as a co-author of a bill (H.F. 2180) that provides grants to preserve Dakota and Ojibwe Indian language through education programs and immersion programs. Stay tuned as things develop.
The bill I have co -authored to construct a veterans home in Bemidji cleared its second House panel this morning, the State Government Finance Committee. I continue meeting with various House members to explain how important this project is to our region and this second committee hearing is another important step in the process. Thank you to the testifiers who took the time to appear in front of the committee today to support the project.
To quickly recap the bill: The Minnesota Veterans and Quality of Life Act (H.F. 1109) would allocate a total of $16 million in bonding proceeds to construct two veterans facilities, with $10 million for one in Bemidji and $6 million for another in Montevideo. Both areas have been identified as significantly underserved in terms of access to veterans hospitals. Federal and local contributions also are involved.
One note of interest from the floor this week is that on Monday the House approved a bill (H.F. 5) which aims to provide double-digit reductions on health insurance premiums by mitigating the impact of high-risk consumers in the individual market.
The bill would create the Minnesota Premium Security Plan and establish a state-based reinsurance program. The goal is to bring stability to the individual market and increase accessibility to coverage for the people in greatest need. Minnesota long has been a national leader in health care and this helps us get back some of what was lost when Obamacare and MNsure were created.
The governor is expected to put out his revised budget proposal this afternoon, with adjustments made following the updated economic forecast we received earlier this month. The House will come forward with a budget plan of its own in the coming days and I will keep you posted as things move along.
Sincerely,
Matt