Hello friends,
As I mentioned in the last update, most policy committees have had their final hearings and are introducing their omnibus bills. We are starting to make the shift away from committee meetings in general, and will be spending more time in House floor sessions from now until the end of session; the end is nearly in sight! Here is a brief overview of what went on this last week.
Tax Committee Hearing on HF2969
On Tuesday, HF2969 received a hearing in the Tax Committee, for possible inclusion in the tax omnibus bill. This bipartisan legislation would allow parents who have had a stillborn child to receive a tax credit for the year the child was born. The $2,000.00 tax credit is meant to help offset the $12,000.00- $15,000.00 of unexpected costs associated with having a stillbirth. Often, these costs are not covered by insurance. In Minnesota there are 300-400 fetal deaths per year.
Here is a link to video of the hearing and the House Information summary of HF 2969:
Thank you to Amanda and Chris Duffy, Dale Fuller, and Lindsay Wimmer of the Star Legacy Foundation for sharing their stories, and advocating for this legislation. I am hopeful we will pass this measure and become the 5th state in the U.S. to adopt this tax credit.
Ebenezer Ridges Volunteer Dinner
Rep. Joe Schomacker, Chair of the Aging and Long-Term Care Policy Committee, and I attended the Ebenezer Ridges Care Center Volunteer Dinner. We spoke briefly about what we are doing at the legislature to help care for our aging and elderly in Minnesota, and then celebrated the 152 volunteers who put in 8,037 hours at Ebenezer Ridges. What an amazing community!
Left to right, Rep. Schomacker, Kate Cinnamo, myself, Jill Acosta, Jon Lundberg (in back), and Mark Thomas
Sincerely,
Roz