Dear Neighbors,
The 2017 Minnesota Legislative Session is here, and with it, another long to-do list. Again – as I fear what is quickly becoming a theme – much work is leftover from last year. Bonding, tax, and transportation bills were all supposed to be the heavy lifting of the last session, but none of the three made it over the finish line. In addition to passing a two-year state budget and taking care of more urgent issues, such as health insurance premium relief for some Minnesotans, these tasks all leave us with a very full plate.
On the opening day of the session, my daughter Eleanor got to meet Rep. Nick Zerwas’s son Jackson on the House Floor.
Health Insurance Premium Relief
The topic of premium relief is one which I hope we can handle in short order, and one that frankly should have been taken care of during a special session this past fall. Those Minnesotans who purchase their health insurance on the individual market – about 125,000 of them – are seeing their premiums skyrocket, on average of 59 percent, and in some cases much higher. I agree with Gov. Dayton that we should give them a break, and this would take the form of a 25 percent rebate on premiums. Some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, however, want to rush other major changes through right away too. One of these is to open the door to for-profit health insurance companies to do business in Minnesota, a move clearly designed to benefit their corporate allies.
We can agree on a bipartisan basis that our health insurance and health care delivery systems need some improvements. For my part, I’ve introduced a bill to make administrative spending, reimbursement rate information and other spending by HMOs public data. This will lead to greater transparency, and with that, likely lower health care costs. While it’s important to consider these reforms, there is an urgency with sizable bills coming in the mail for some Minnesotans. Major changes can’t get in the way of delivering premium relief now.
Jobs Bill
Last week, Governor Mark Dayton introduced his jobs bill, which included many bonding priorities for infrastructure improvements throughout the state. As I mentioned earlier, no bonding bill passed last year, so with interest rates still low, the time is now to invest in this area and put Minnesotans to work. I’m thankful that the Governor again recommends renovation of the Seal and Sea Lion Habitat at the Como Zoo, home to the world famous Sparky exhibit. Originally constructed during the WPA-era in the 1930’s, these upgrades are long overdue. This asset is significant not just to our community, but is a major tourist attraction for the state and provides a unique educational component as well. The Governor also recommends funding many other important priorities in the city of St. Paul including for the Science Museum, the Dorothy Day Revision phase 2, the RiverCentre, St. Paul College and others.
State Budget
While our attention may be focused now on the unfinished business of last year, working through and passing a state budget for the next two years will be take the lion’s share of the attention this session. With Governor Dayton in office, and the GOP now holding the majority in both the House and the Senate, nothing will be enacted without some form of compromise. We start the session with a $1.4 billion surplus. I will work to make sure we pass a budget that improves Minnesotans’ lives through increased education opportunities at all levels of learning, transportation investments, access to affordable health care, and relief toward expenses citizens face such as child care and student debt.
We cannot afford to prioritize corporate tax giveaways and budget cuts which hurt working people, or include gimmicks which may put us on the path of perpetual deficits as the House GOP majority has had a tendency to do when they’ve been in charge. Minnesotans expect us to get our work done on time, and in a manner benefiting ordinary Minnesotans, their families, and their communities. You can bet I’ll be working hard to ensure we reach this conclusion this year.
My Own Initiatives
Last month, colleagues and I held a press conference launching bipartisan National Popular Vote legislation.
While there may be times I disagree with my friends in the GOP caucus, you can be assured I’ll be looking for opportunities to work across the aisle. Prior to session, I held a press conference announcing the reintroduction of National Popular Vote legislation which, if passed, would ensure the candidate with the most votes nationwide becomes president. Clearly, under the current system, not every vote counts as equal to every other. During a presidential campaign, the candidates place attention almost exclusively on a few targeted “battleground states” and ignore the rest of the nation. In 2016, 94 percent of the 399 post-convention events staged by the Democratic and Republican tickets occurred in just twelve states. Two-thirds of them took place in just six states: Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and Michigan.
Greater amounts of attention placed upon swing states goes well beyond campaign season, too. Research has shown these states on average get seven percent more federal grants, twice as many disaster declarations, and numerous favorable executive actions. This bill has had broad, bipartisan support in the past and will again this year.
As the Ranking DFL member of the Civil Law Committee, you can again count on me to work with Republicans when potential breaches of personal data privacy come to the surface. Recently the practice of utilizing GPS devices to track DWI offenders who use ignition interlock devices came to light. It’s important that all Minnesotans – even those who have been convicted of a crime – retain their rights under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. I’ll be working to ensure data collection by state government using this and other emerging technologies – such as drones, facial recognition software, and cell phone tracking – are given proper vetting by the Legislature and are used within proper bounds of the constitution.
I will also renew efforts to expand protections under the “Safe Harbor Act” to adults. Under this law, children who are trafficked and exploited for prostitution are treated as victims, not criminals. My proposal would expand this to adults, removing the age limit under what is known as the “Swedish model” or “Nordic model.” This puts the attention of law enforcement where it should be: on those who are buyers and who traffic human beings for sex. I have received bipartisan support on this initiative previously, and hope to make serious headway at the Capitol this year to protect further protect women and girls.
State Capitol Restoration
Speaking of the State Capitol itself, the detail and attention given to the architecture and artwork during the recently completed restoration is truly something that must be seen first-hand. The functionality of the building is also greatly improved with new public spaces, more accessibility, technology befitting the 21st century, and other facility improvements (e.g. restrooms on each floor). No longer will you see eyesores such as peeling paint, inoperable lighting, and telecommunication cables exposed. If Democrats and Republicans agree on nothing else this session, we can certainly agree that our State Capitol is a treasure to be preserved, and this restoration is something we can be proud of and enjoy for generations to come. I hope you can make plans to visit.
Throughout session, please don’t hesitate to contact me with what’s on your mind. Call or email me any time with your ideas or feedback, or if I can ever be of assistance.
Sincerely,
John Lesch
State Representative