HOUSE GOP MOVES TO RESTORE LONG-TERM CARE DIVISION
ST. PAUL — On Thursday, House Republicans lead by Rep. Anne Neu Brindley, R-North Branch, will offer an amendment to the Temporary House rules set to be adopted Thursday to restore the Long-Term Care Division set to be eliminated by the Democrat House Majority. The Long-Term Care Division or subcommittee has existed in some form since being created under then-Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, in 2015, and the Minnesota Senate has an Aging and Long-Term Care Policy Committee chaired by Sen. Karin Housley, R-St. Mary’s Point.
“Aging Minnesotans and residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities are among the hardest-hit by the pandemic,” Neu Brindley said. “We need a committee specifically dedicated to these critical issues. It’s troubling that after attempting to cut nursing homes by $68 million, Democrats are eliminating the committee altogether.”
Following the creation of the Aging and Long-Term Care Committee in 2015, House Republicans led an effort to dramatically increase funding for Minnesota nursing homes, and were able to focus on issues impacting aging Minnesotans, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities.
Last session, Democrats pushed for a change to the funding structure that would have resulted in a $68 million cut to nursing homes. The move was highly-criticized by House Republicans, and ultimately was defeated when the final budget was passed by the legislature.
The updated Committee Structure for the 2021-2022 biennium is included in the temporary rules set to be considered during Thursday’s floor session. You can find a copy of the proposed amendments for the Temporary Rules of the House, including the full committee structure, here. The amendment being offered by Rep. Neu Brindley can be found here.