Community Q&A This Sunday!
Dear Neighbors,
This week, the Minnesota House passed a tax update bill on a unanimous 130-0 vote. The legislation, authored by Property Tax Chair Lislegard, would update the net operating loss deduction to support businesses across our state that use the deduction. I was proud to vote in support of this broadly bipartisan legislation, which would save thousands of taxpayers money in our state. You can read more here.
Community Q&A This Sunday!
As the legislative session continues to progress, I want to share an opportunity for a community town hall and Q&A. I will be joined by other Rochester legislators at a town hall this Sunday, March 24th from 2:00-3:00 at 125 Live (125 Elton Hills Dr NW, Rochester, MN 55901).
Chairing the Health Committee
This week while Health Committee Chair and Rochester Rep. Tina Liebling presented her legislation, I acted as temporary chair of our committee meeting! I am so proud to serve on the Health Committee as we work to increase access to healthcare while reducing costs for working and middle-class Minnesotans.
This year, 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. 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 and has my support.
Federal Assistance for Small 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.
Stay Connected!
Unfortunately, due to technological constraints, replies to this newsletter won’t reach my email account. To share your input or ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance, please feel free to reach out at rep.andy.smith@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9249, and I will be happy to help. If you were forwarded this email and you’d like to subscribe, click here. If you have a friend or neighbor who would be interested in receiving these, please forward this and encourage them to subscribe!
Warmly,
Andy Smith,
State Representative