Dear Neighbors,
Both the amount of work and the pace of it are both picking up down here at the State Capitol. A regular schedule of committee hearings is now in full swing, and we are diving into important topics we hope to address as session moves forward.
Health Insurance Premiums
The major topic of the week was health insurance premium relief for those on the individual market. Last night we considered the House GOP insurance premium rebate proposal. Minnesotans facing drastic premium increases on the individual market are hurting and they need relief now, not later. The deadline for enrolling for 2017 health insurance is approaching fast on January 31st.
Unfortunately, the bill which passed includes major overhauls to the health insurance market that need more time to be reviewed because they may not help stabilize the market, or worse, they could cause more problems. In addition to these complexities, the bill delays relief for Minnesotans until 2018.
I spoke up on the House Floor last night for the very first time to note the similarities between the House GOP’s tactics on health insurance and their insistence last year to tie an unrelated tax cut benefiting big businesses to unemployment insurance for out of work steelworkers. When our state faces a crisis, whether it be economic in nature or a natural disaster, we come together to do the right thing and deliver assistance. That’s why I support Gov. Dayton’s plan to provide a 25 percent premium rebate immediately. I hope the House GOP can soon see the wisdom of doing the right thing too.
Child Care
This week in the Subcommittee on Childcare Access and Affordability we had a good discussion about some of the many difficulties Minnesota parents face when searching for quality child care. In greater Minnesota, these families have an even bigger challenge. There are some promising possibilities we can explore, such as local partnerships with businesses to expand access.
The lack of affordable options for child care can also lead to difficulties for greater Minnesota employers in recruiting and retaining workers. If a potential employee cannot find access to child care they can afford, they may be hesitant to move to take a job. This is a problem facing many of our communities, and I’m confident we will be able to come up with some bipartisan solutions.
Mining Jobs
It’s exciting that 200 folks are now back on the job at Keetac, and by the month of March, production should be fully operational. My Iron Range colleagues and I met with Gov. Dayton this week to discuss our shared vision to grow the number of high quality jobs in the mining industry. To be sure, we and the Governor have had some disagreements with regard to some specific projects, but this was a good meeting. I am hopeful there are areas where we can find common ground, and that soon we will have more good news on the horizon regarding exciting potential job opportunities.
I encourage you to keep in touch with your viewpoints and ideas. Feel free to email or call me any time.
Have a terrific weekend!
Sincerely,
Julie Sandstede
State Representative