Accessibility menu
State Representative Paul Thissen
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5375
For more information contact: Ben Schweigert 651-296-5809
HOUSE BRIEFS
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE APRIL 15, 2005
This week the Minnesota legislature completed the policymaking committee work for the session. We are now entering the part of the session where the budgets for health, education, public safety, transportation, the environment and other areas are assembled and debated. Each individual budget must be completed and pass out of committee by next Friday.
As a member of the Health Policy and Finance Committee, much of my work next week will be focused on the health budget. As you may know, Governor Pawlenty’s budget makes substantial cuts in the area of health care and proposes some radical changes to Minnesota’s well-respected health care program for working Minnesotans known as MinnesotaCare. Far from being “welfare healthcare" as the Governor likes to say, MinnesotaCare is for working Minnesotans whose employers do not offer health insurance. MinnesotaCare members actually pay premiums to access quality health care.
Under the Governor’s proposal, working adults without children will be eliminated from MinnesotaCare eligibility. As a consequence, those working but lower-income individuals will have a choice between carrying no health insurance or leaving the workforce in order to qualify (at below poverty income) for fully subsidized health care. In either event, the cost to the health care system in general will be greater in the long-run.
One of my priorities in the budget discussions will be to protect the integrity of MinnesotaCare. Along with my colleagues, I will be rolling out a creative vision for healthcare next week that will preserve MinesotaCare and avoid some of the other cost-shifting cuts proposed by the Governor. I look forward to a thoughtful debate.
2. BONDING BILL
As many of you know, the bonding bill passed strongly in both Houses last week. Among the highlights are:
• $213.6 million for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities;
• $108.4 million for the University of Minnesota;
• $98.7 million for the Department of Corrections, including $84.8 million for an expansion of the Faribault facility;
• $94 million for transportation, including $40 million for local bridge replacements and $37.5 million for the Northstar commuter rail;
• $22 million for the Minneapolis planetarium; and
• $12 million for permanent supportive housing loans.
A full spreadsheet of funded projects may be found at http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/sessiondaily.asp?yearid=2004&storyid=464.
3. LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES
My proposal to create a public-private partnership to encourage sustainable economic development is advancing in both chambers. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development incorporated the proposal as one of its economic development initiatives – a good example of true bipartisanship. Under the proposal, the state will provide tax credits to small regional investor pools who wish to reinvest in their own communities. The investments must be made in small businesses in the investors’ communities. The businesses must pay a living wage and must serve the local community. The underlying notion is that we are all better off if we can keep a communities’ economic capital circulating within the community rather than sending it away to corporate headquarters in Arkansas or overseas.
My proposal to reinvest in high quality early childhood learning and care is also advancing. The bipartisan Early Childhood Caucus, of which I am a member, identified the proposal as one of its top priorities for the session. More information about the proposal can be found at the Growth and Justice website. Just click on March 2005 Newsletter. http://www.growthandjustice.org.
Another early childhood proposal to provide tax incentives for private companies who invest in early childhood education scholarships is also moving through the process. The proposal was highlighted in a recent article: http://www.winonadailynews.com/articles/2005/04/08/news/05prek.txt.
I am also pleased to be working with Sen. Sandy Pappas on my higher education initiative. Based on the simple notion that a more skilled workforce will benefit employees, employers, and all Minnesotans, the proposal calls on the State of Minnesota to recognize the efforts of private companies who are investing in their lower-income but high-potential employees. Employers who cover higher education tuition for qualified employees will receive a tax credit from the state. For more information about the proposal, see http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/pressreleasels84.asp?district=63A&pressid=220&party=1.
4. UPCOMING EVENTS
If you are concerned about the current cuts to transit, you will be interested in a Town Meeting on Transit on Saturday, April 16 at the Richfield Community Center (7000 Nicollet Ave S). The meeting will run from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Representative Larson, the DFL Lead on Transportation in the House, will host a discussion regarding the future of transit in our Metropolitan region. A panel of transit experts will discuss the impact of potential cuts to transit spending and how they will affect residents of Minneapolis, Richfield, and Bloomington. Following the panel discussion, questions will be taken from the
audience. Refreshments will be provided.
News Items
- DFL Leaders Eager to Confront Minnesota’s Challenges with Focus on Economy and Middle Class - (Posted: Jan 9 2013 2:21PM)
- State Representative John Persell appointed Majority Whip - (Posted: Dec 21 2012 1:11PM)
- Speaker-designate Thissen to Establish Select Committee on Living Wage Jobs - (Posted: 2012-12-19 00:00:00)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.