Friends,
January is now over half over and I am hard at work in Saint Paul to deliver for Minnesotans. This week we passed the health care premium relief bill, Sunday Sales passed out of committee, and more. Here's my update from the Capitol.
Health Care Emergency Act Passes the House
The 2017 Health Care Emergency Aid and Access bill passed the House on Thursday with bipartisan support. You can read my statement on its passage here. The bill does three key things to provide relief and begin to make reforms to the health insurance market in Minnesota.
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Premium Relief. The House Republican plan provides emergency premium relief to Minnesotans who need it most.
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Continuity of Care. The House Republican plan preserves access to life saving treatment and end-of-life care for Minnesotans.
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Affordable Options. The House Republican plan provides immediate new opportunities for coverage for Minnesotans and starts the process of increasing competition and choices next year. These reforms stand alone and are independent of future federal changes.
The bill will now be referred to a conference committee where the House and Senate will negotiate with Governor Dayton.
This is just the beginning of what will be the long process of fixing the individual market here in Minnesota. If you have questions, concerns, or ideas on the best way to make health care work here in Minnesota, please email or give me a call at 651.296.4212.
Sunday Sales Progress
The fight over Minnesota's Sunday Liquor ban may finally be coming to an end. On Tuesday, the House Commerce Committee passed Rep. Jennifer Loon's bill to permit the sale of liquor on Sundays. It passed the Commerce Committee with overwhelming bipartisan support 15-4.
I have signed on to the Sunday Sales bill as a co-author and will support passage on the House floor. It looks like we may finally get this issue resolved!
As always, please continue to stay in touch to share your thoughts and ideas on the bills heard in committee and in session. You can schedule a time to meet with me in my office any time by calling my office at (651) 296-9463, or share your thoughts via email by emailing me at rep.drew.christensen@house.mn.
Have a great weekend,
Drew