Legislative Update - April 6, 2023

Dear Neighbors,

The legislature has adjourned for our Spring recess. We will return to our work next Tuesday. In the meantime, I am sending out wishes to all who may be celebrating. May this be a Happy Easter or a peaceful Passover for you and your loved ones.

Our Progress

At this time, most Committee work on individual bills is done, and we are working diligently to put together our budget bills. Committee budget bills pull together many individual proposals and have to meet spending targets assigned by leadership. Nothing is complete until the House and Senate come to an agreement and Governor Walz signs the bill. We are on track to begin voting on budget bills when we return from Spring recess. I understand that we’re getting budget bills done pretty early, which is great because it gives every member of the House and Senate a chance to read the bills and ensure their questions and concerns are addressed. 

As Chair of the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement, I am extremely proud of the bill we have put together with so much input from all members of the committee. A special thanks to our vice chair, Senator Nick Frentz. Pensions are complicated, and I’m grateful for all the members’ commitment to learning about this difficult topic impacting the lives of our seniors in Minnesota. 

Important Information

Each year, Minnesotans enrolled in Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare must have their eligibility reviewed to verify they still qualify for coverage. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, this renewal process was paused, and Minnesotans enrolled in these programs maintained continuous health care coverage. This spring, when the federal health emergency ends, the standard renewal process will resume. 

If you’re among the 1.5 million Minnesotans who rely on Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare, make sure your current contact information is on file, especially if you’ve moved in the last three years. Visit mn.gov/dhs/mycontactinfo or call (800) 657-3672 to update your address, phone number and email address. Also, be on the lookout for official information and instructions about how to renew your coverage, and be prepared with some documentation when it’s time to renew. Learn more at mn.gov/dhs/renewmycoverage.

House DFLers are committed to ensuring all eligible Minnesotans retain their public coverage when renewals restart while connecting those ineligible with other coverage options. Last month, lawmakers approved and Governor Walz signed into law a bill to ease this “unwinding” by investing resources for counties to process renewals, support for MNsure navigators, and making MinnesotaCare available with no premiums through June 30, 2024.

Updates

It is always such a pleasure to participate in the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition District 64 Legislators Town Hall Meeting with Representative Dave Pinto and Senator Erin Murphy. Faith-based civic engagement and empathy for those in need have never been more important. Thank you for all of the thoughtful questions. What a wonderful bonus to see my constituent and friend Joan, who is a big supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment.

Lastly, I was glad to join the Sisters of St. Joseph’s program on gun violence prevention. We discussed our gun violence prevention bill package, and how they can help advocate to get these bills signed into law. This session, I’ve authored a bill to require reports of lost and stolen firearms to law enforcement. You can read the bill here. 

Stay in Touch

If you have any questions or feedback you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can contact me by email at rep.kaohly.her@house.com or call (651) 296-8799 or like my Official State Representative Facebook Page.

Sincerely,  

Kaohly Vang Her

State Representative