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Minnesota House of Representatives

State Representative Matt Dean

301 State Office BuildingState Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-3018

For more information contact: Amber Berhow 651-296-5520

Posted: 2006-04-12 00:00:00
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NEWS COLUMN

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM MATT DEAN April 12, 2006

Greetings from the Capitol!

This week marked the midpoint of our 2006 legislative session, and we completed our primary task of passing a bonding bill to invest in Minnesota's infrastructure. The bill totals $949 million in projects for higher education, roads, bridges, and the environment. This week we also passed an important health finance bill, and made a proposal to give property tax rebates to homeowners.

HEALTH CARE POLICY CHANGES
This week the Health committee worked hard to finish an omnibus finance bill, which incorporates many of our individual health policy ideas and proposals. The bill will go to the Committee on Ways and Means, and then to the House floor for a vote. Here are a few of the policies included in the bill:
* Changes made to nursing home assessments, long term care insurance, and assisted living requirements
* Requires verification of immigration status when applying for MA and MinnesotaCare
* Requires state and county employees report violations of federal immigration laws by those applying for public benefits
* Allows for a reduction in MinnesotaCare taxes on hospitals, surgical centers, health care providers, and wholesale drug distributors when there is a projected surplus in the health care access fund.
* Allows parents to receive a birth certificate when a child dies shortly after birth
* Requires the reporting of data on parental notification and judicial bypass
* Requires doctors performing abortions have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital to protect the health of the mother
* Promotes electronic billing and improved information availability
* Cost containment studies commissioned
* For-profit HMOs allowed
* MCHA assessment reduced
* Small health plan purchasing pools allowed
All of these ideas were diligently considered and the subject of much debate. We are all working hard to find new ways to reduce the costs of health care and improve accessibility.

TAX RELIEF FOR HOMEOWNERS
House Republicans proposed a 10% property tax rebate for homeowners this week. Rebate checks would be issued to homeowners before October, and equal 10 % of the net tax shown on the 2006 property tax statement. This proposal is contingent upon the Minnesota Supreme Court's decision on the health impact fee. Should the fee be ruled illegal, these dollars would need to be used to replace those generated by the fee. If the court rules in the state's favor, we have $317 million to use for tax relief.

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