Legislative Update: March 19, 2024

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you are all enjoying this warm start to Spring! It’s been another busy week at the State Capitol as we continue to hear from constituents and debate legislation focused on continuing to make life safer and more affordable for Minnesotans.

Here’s the latest from St. Paul:

Building a Clean Energy Future

In 2023, lawmakers answered the call from Minnesotans of all generations to take urgent action addressing our climate crisis by enacting a goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040. To achieve this benchmark – one of the most ambitious in the nation – we need wind and solar farms to generate clean energy and transmission lines to carry that energy to the electric grid. There’s a big problem though: too many clean energy projects are stuck in a slow approval process. Today, about 51% of Minnesota’s electricity comes from carbon-free sources, but according to research, to reach our 100% goal, Minnesota must double the current pace at which new solar and wind energy sources are being developed.

That’s why I support the Minnesota Energy Infrastructure Permitting Act. This legislation – which has earned broad support from Minnesota utilities, clean energy advocates, and our partners in labor – will eliminate redundancies, increase transparency, and make Minnesota’s permitting process more efficient and consistent. Given Minnesota’s unpredictable weather, shaving even a couple of months off the permitting process could mean a difference of an entire year when it comes to construction. As addressing climate change becomes increasingly urgent, saving this time is more critical now than ever. Without upgrades to our decades-old energy permitting laws to meet the challenges we face today, our carbon-free ambitions may not become reality. The Minnesota Energy Infrastructure Permitting Act will help us meet this critical moment and remove barriers to the clean energy future all Minnesotans deserve.

Expanding Access to Affordable, High-Quality Health Care

All Minnesotans deserve to live healthy lives with economic security, and DFLers at the Capitol are committed to expanding access to affordable, quality health care. Unfortunately, too many Minnesotans currently can’t afford health insurance or have health insurance they can’t afford to use. Working families without employer-based insurance often face outrageous premiums and other out-of-pocket costs. For instance, many plans on the individual market have annual deductibles of $7,000 or higher. This puts Minnesotans in an impossible predicament, which leads to people avoiding care and results in poor health outcomes – sometimes with tragic consequences.

One plan to solve this problem impacting middle-class Minnesotans is the MinnesotaCare Public Option. It would allow all Minnesotans to access comprehensive health insurance coverage – with vision, dental, and more – with low out-of-pocket costs and a large network of quality medical providers. People enrolled in the Public Option would pay their own premiums – with significantly lower prices than what’s available currently on the individual market – determined on a sliding scale based on income.

MinnesotaCare has been a nation-leading, highly successful, and trusted health insurance program serving low-income working Minnesotans for over 30 years. The bill creating a MinnesotaCare Public Option – which would expand affordable health insurance to thousands of more Minnesotans – is advancing through the committee process in the House. 

Federal Assistance for Businesses Affected by Warm Winter

Our “winter” this year has been unseasonably warm. While many of us have enjoyed foregoing winter jackets this year, the low precipitation we’ve experienced this winter has had a real economic impact on small businesses that rely on snow and winter tourism. Federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available due to the ongoing federal drought declarations affecting 81 Minnesota counties. Small business owners should apply here for assistance as soon as possible.

EMT Training/Paramedic Scholarships Available

DFLers are working to address the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) statewide shortage. One of these initiatives, that I supported, funds a one-time appropriation of $3 million for up to 600 scholarships of $5,000 starting in the fall of 2024 to be awarded by June 30, 2026. If you or anyone you know might be interested in this opportunity to serve the public and give back to the community, you can find eligibility information here. 

Stay in Touch

Please reach out to my office if you need assistance with anything. I am best reached through email at rep.samantha.vang@house.mn.gov or please contact my Legislative Assistant Jared at jared.margolis@house.mn.gov. I always appreciate hearing from you. You can also follow along on my official Facebook page here. 

Sincerely,

Rep. Samantha Vang

651-296-3709

rep.samantha.vang@house.mn.gov