Paul Douglas Coming to Maple Grove!

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this finds you well and enjoying the cooler weather and vibrant changing colors!

I’d like to take this opportunity to invite you to an upcoming event next week in Maple Grove. I’ll be hosting a community conversation and panel to discuss solutions for addressing the effects of and how we can combat climate change in Minnesota. As one of the fastest warming states in the country, I’ve been working with my colleagues, science experts, and advocates to find ways we can slow the effects and approach the topic from a public heath perspective. I’m excited to share Meteorologist Paul Douglas will be joining the dialogue, in addition to other elected leaders and experts. Here are the details:

• Wednesday, October 30 at 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Maple Grove Government Center, 12800 Arbor Lakes Parkway North, Maple Grove, 55369

Insulin Update

The issue of emergency access to insulin is extremely important and personal to me. As the sister of a type-1 diabetic, I have a deep understanding of the real impact it has on our families. The sheer energy required to navigate day to day life is more than enough for diabetics, and we cannot ask them to live with the fear that leads them to ration the medication their lives depend on.

Over the summer, I engaged in a series of community listening sessions hosted by the House, as an opportunity for Minnesotans to share personal stories about emergency insulin access, learn about solutions under discussion at the Legislature, and put pressure on pharmaceutical companies to end price gouging.

With growing public pressure, the Minnesota Senate announced an insulin proposal that strives to connect Minnesotans with insurance options for affordable insulin, however, let me be clear: it excludes any emergency access to insulin, fundamentally missing the real goal.

At the end of September, the House Health and Human Services Finance Division held an informational hearing to discuss the differences between the House and Senate’s proposals, recap lessons learned from the statewide community conversations, and how we can put forward solutions to address this issue that’s impacting far too many Minnesotans. Since then, Speaker Hortman sent a letter to Governor Walz, urging him to appoint an Emergency Access to Insulin Work Group of House and Senate members to resolve differences within each chamber’s insulin proposal. The bipartisan group has been formed and a meeting is expected in the coming days. The time to act on emergency insulin access is now.

A Plan for Robo-Calls

Robo-calls are disruptive and cause people to not want to pick up the phone when it rings. And in fact, Minnesotans on average have received 58 robo-calls so far this year. My colleagues introduced a plan to crack down on the calls to protect Minnesotans from the predatory scams, and I look forward to supporting the bill during the 2020 legislative session. You can read more about the plan from MPR here or watch the WCCO clip here.

Minnesota Values Project

The Minnesota Values Project is an ongoing partnership between Minnesotans and the legislature. We’re working together to create a shared vision for the future of our state, and your input is an important part of this process! You can let us know what’s important to you, your community, and Minnesota by taking a quick survey here.

Prescription Take Back Day

For the first time, vaping devices and cartridges will be accepted during National Take Back day on October 26. This is a safe, convenient way to dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs, and it's also a reminder that the medicine cabinet is where too many people get access to drugs that can lead to addiction. You can find a collection site here.

Please reach out with questions, input, or ideas. I appreciate hearing from you!

Sincerely,
Kristin Bahner
State Representative