Creating Health Standards in the ClassroomI’m proud to carry HF3682, a bill that would standardize health education across our state. This is a crucial step towards ensuring that all students, regardless of their location, receive a consistent education related to not only their own health, but also the well-being of their family, friends and community. Currently, health is the only required subject matter that is not standardized in Minnesota, meaning it does not have consistent benchmarks. We believe that health should be standardized like every other required subject. However, we legislators are not the people who should be deciding what those standards are – we should leave that up to education professionals. That’s why this bill utilizes the rulemaking process, allowing for any and all interested parties to engage the Department of Education in the process, including students, parents, advocates, and the business community. Rulemaking will allow for a transparent process that will require the input and buy-in of a variety of stakeholders. Legislation to Cover Fertility TreatmentsLast week, the Commerce Committee heard legislation to require insurance coverage for fertility treatments, including IVF. Other states who have passed similar measures saw individual premiums increase by just $1.30 on average, making this proposal affordable, practical, and a smart move for Minnesota. During the hearing, a Republican colleague proposed an amendment that would collect sensitive data on those accessing the treatment in an attempt to gather things like sexual orientation. DFLers pushed back, knowing that information is simply nobody’s business. There was also an amendment proposed that would carve out treatment exemptions for religious affiliation of an insurance provider, like an employer. I spoke up with unabashed honesty at this ridiculous, veiled attempt to control women’s bodies. It is nobody's business how or when Minnesotans decide to start a family. It is unacceptable to suggest that those personal decisions should be affected by someone else's religious affiliation. As one of the 1 in 8 Minnesotans who struggle/d with fertility, and in the wake of Alabama’s Supreme Court outlawing IVF, I’m grateful to the bill author, my colleague Rep. Brand, and the advocates for elevating this conversation. You can see my brief comments in committee here. Expanding Access to Affordable, High-Quality Health CareEarlier today I had the opportunity to ride along with one of our incredible HCMC emergency physicians and experience first-hand the life-saving efforts they provide to our community every day.  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, which was heard in the Commerce Committee this week. 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.  Constituent CornerThank you to everyone who stopped by my office recently! I love connecting with members of my community – it's my favorite part of my job. If you’d like to stop by, you can contact my Legislative Assistant, Ella, at 651-296-3918 or via email at ella.schultz@house.mn.gov.?  Tax Season UpdateDFLers have been making big moves to help working families, and you’ll feel some of the benefits this year as you file your 2023 taxes. During the first week of the 2024 legislative session, the House passed a technical corrections bill for the 2023 Tax Bill. This was our very first action on the floor this year because it will affect nearly all Minnesotans as we prepare to file taxes. This bill ensures all Minnesotans receive the return they’re entitled to. The biggest change from last year’s bill was updating how we account for inflation, and the adjustment will save Minnesotans around $300 million dollars as they file 2023 taxes.  If you’re a renter, don't forget to claim your property tax refund! This is the first year renters will be able to receive this credit with their tax filing rather than later in the year. Along with making it simpler and more convenient, we also expanded the credit to many Minnesotans who didn’t qualify previously. I also want to remind you that nearly 300,000 Minnesota households are eligible for the nation-leading Child Tax Credit! With our Child Tax Credit, families will save up to $1,750 for each dependent. Democrats are cutting child poverty by one-third with this rebate. You can claim the tax credit by filing a 2023 income tax return. The $1,750 credit is for each child 17 years old and younger, with no limit on the number of children. For all tax filers, this credit begins to phase out at an income level of $35,000 and fully phases out at a maximum of $90,750 for a family with four children. If you qualify, file your taxes to make sure to claim the benefits available to you. To file for the Renter’s Credit, make sure you have your Certificate of Rent Paid from your landlord, which they were required to provide by January 31st. If you have not received this from your landlord and are having trouble obtaining it, feel free to reach out to my office and I’d be happy to assist. |