Dear Neighbors,
Last week, DFLer David Gottfried was sworn in as the House’s 134th member after winning a special election for an open seat in Roseville. That means the House is back to the 67-67 tie voters delivered in November, and the previously negotiated co-governing agreement is now in effect. House committees will rotate gavels, with DFL and Republican co-chairs setting their respective agendas and bill hearings.
I’m looking forward to coming together on the places we agree and finding compromises that move our state forward. I’m already working on multiple bills that can get bipartisan support, and I’m dedicated to fighting for a responsible state budget that helps working families thrive and protects Minnesotans from the chaos coming out of Washington.
Meeting with Constituents and Bill Presentations
It was great seeing folks from Stillwater here at the Capitol complex advocating for environmental protections. I'm more than happy to support legislation that keeps pollution out of the water we drink, swim and fish in, smog out of the air we breathe, and greenhouse gases out of our climate!
I was joined by Executive Director Dr. Yelana Baily this week. We are working to enhance and strengthen educator licensing in Minnesota to address the teacher shortage!
I also met with a couple of constituents advocating for the Boys and Girls Club. Mentorship is incredibly valuable and I was more than happy to make time to hear their priorities.
Standing Firm on Reproductive Freedom
I joined my colleagues in voting down a “born alive” bill that made its way to the floor recently. Let’s be clear: doctors already provide appropriate medical care, and to suggest otherwise is false, offensive, and dangerous. This bill was based in falsehood about the care doctors provide and parents seek. We have a responsibility to legislate honestly. There is no such thing as abortion during labor and delivery. That’s not how medical care works, and it’s wrong and irresponsible to suggest otherwise.
Prescription Drug Affordability
For too long, drug manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) and health plans have taken advantage of flaws in federal drug policy to squeeze consumers for ever increasing amounts of profit. I’m happy to say the DFL is pushing three bills specifically crafted to put an end to the corporate tactics that keep cheap and affordable drugs out of the hands of Minnesotans:
- HF 1652 would prohibit a health plan from forcing patients to switch drugs in the middle of the year because they’re now getting a bigger rebate from the manufacturer of a competitive drug. If a patient and a doctor find a drug that works, they should be allowed to stick with that drug for the rest of the plan year.
- HF 1075 says that health plans and PBMs must use the rebates that they received when patients bought their drug to buy down their price at the pharmacy counter in the form of a “Point of Sale Rebate.” This will ensure these rebates are being used to make expensive life saving drugs more affordable to the patients who need them.
- HF 1076 is an innovative approach not yet adopted by any other state. It requires PBMs and health plans to include the low-price drugs in their formularies and construct their formularies so that the drugs with the lowest prices for the patient (rather than the drug generating the biggest kick-backs to the insurance company) receive the best placement in their formularies. The goal of this legislation is to redirect competition away from rebates towards lower prices.
If these were passed into law, you would see a significant decrease in the price of the drugs you rely on. I’ll be sure to keep pushing for their passage and let you know of any progress!
Real ID Taking Effect in May
Beginning May 7, 2025, Minnesotans 18 years of age or older will not be able to use their standard driver's license or identification card to board domestic flights or enter certain federal facilities. Instead, they will need one of three options:
- Minnesota REAL ID driver's license or identification card.
- Minnesota Enhanced driver's license or identification card.
- Other federally-approved forms of identification. They are listed online here, but include:
- U.S. passport or passport card
- Foreign government-issued passport
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
- Permanent resident card
- Border crossing card
- Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
- U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
If you are not sure which license type is right for you, check out the Driver Vehicle Services’ website here.
Stay in Touch
Please feel free to reach out to me by email at rep.josiah.hill@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-4124. If you have a friend, neighbor, or relative who wants to receive updates about the Legislature, let them know they can subscribe to my email list here, and follow my Facebook here. It’s an honor to represent our community. Please stay in touch!
Sincerely,
Josiah Hill, District 33B
5th Floor, Centennial Office Building
658 Cedar St. Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155