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State Representative Paul Anderson
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4317
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GUEST COLUMN
Please participate in legislative survey at State Fair
By Rep. Paul Anderson
With the Great Minnesota Get-Together in progress, those who attend can once again take part in the non-partisan House of Representatives State Fair Poll. This year’s questions pertain to a number of hot-button topics including taxes, photo ID for voting, the Vikings stadium question, and whether this state should allow liquor to be sold on Sundays. The poll is available at the House of Representatives booth located in the Education Building on Cosgrove Street, just north of Dan Patch Avenue. Nearly 9,000 state fair visitors participated in last year’s poll.
I will be working at the booth from noon until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 1. Stop by and say “Hi” if you happen to be there that day. It’s interesting to visit with folks from all over the state and hear different viewpoints on a wide variety of topics.
The fair has evolved over the years, with one of the biggest changes noticed by rural folks being the disappearance of what used to be known as “Machinery Hill.” Today, lawn and garden equipment sits where combines and tractors used to dominate the scene. I remember visiting the fair with my dad and sitting in big tents, watching the latest and greatest in farm equipment being demonstrated by folks from John Deere or International Harvester. In a way, it’s too bad Machinery Hill is but a memory because it used to a good place for city folks to actually see the size and appreciate the high cost of equipment used in farming. Now, one has to travel to shows like “Big Iron” in Fargo or “Farm Fest” at Redwood Falls to see big agricultural machinery.
Many questions pertaining to the federal health care legislation passed earlier this year remain to be answered. One aspect that will surely have a big affect on states is the major expansion of Medicaid in the bill. Some are calling it another unfunded mandate for states, while others say the federal government will be paying most of the additional expense caused by the expansion. A report earlier this summer by the Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that more than 95 percent of the whopping $464 billion cost of the bill will be paid by Washington. However, even with the feds picking up that much of the total cost, states will still be left with an additional $20 billion price tag for the years 2014 through ’19.
Beginning in 2014, state Medicaid programs will be required to provide coverage to all citizens under the age of 65 who earn up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, which today is about $29,000 for a family of four. Figures for Minnesota show that roughly 250,000 new enrollees will be added under the expansion at a cost to the state of about $420 million for the five years through 2019. It’s hoped the additional cost will be at least partially offset by a reduction in uninsured low-income adults, whose numbers are projected to decline by 44 percent.
At first, the federal government will cover the entire cost of insuring these newly eligible folks. The states’ share will gradually increase until it reaches 10 percent in 2020. One key aspect to watch during this transition will be the rate at which uncompensated care in hospitals declines to see if it goes down fast enough to deliver a cost saving to the states.
One couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful evening than the night we had Aug. 25 for the Sauk River Watershed’s annual summer tour. After what seems like a summer full of high heat and humidity, these past few days with highs in the 70’s have been a wonderful break. Those on the tour were able to view projects in the Melrose, Freeport, Spring Hill, Greenwald and Meire Grove areas. The Sauk River District, one of 81 in Minnesota, has been proactive over the years and has good monitoring data for the river, which should allow it to be among the first to receive funding for new projects from the Clean Water Legacy.
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Rep. Anderson encourages constituents to contact his office with input regarding any state legislative issue. He can be reached on the web at www.house.mn/13A and via email at rep.paul.anderson@house.mn. To contact Anderson by phone, call (651) 296-4317. Mail can be sent to Rep. Paul Anderson, 239 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, Minnesota 55155.
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