Hello Friends!
We have now finished week 3 of our legislative session.
Here are a few of the highlights.
1. On the federal level, we now have a Republican President, House and Senate. The future looks much brighter! Let's make America Great Again!
2. This week we passed our first major piece of legislation off of the house floor, House File 1, the MNsure relief and reform bill.
The bill is a big step forward towards reducing the damage that ObamaCare through MNsure is doing to folks in our state. I have heard countless instances from
folks in our district who have had their health insurance rates go up as much as 65%.
Some folks have seen their deductibles go over $30,000!
One family in our district had their monthly insurance premiums go from $350 per month to over $900 per month. This family is on a fixed income. My heart breaks for them and all of those in this mess.
Simply put, ObamaCare and DFL-sponsored MNsure are destroying the lives of thousands of people.
The bill we passed this week, HF1, does two main things to help turn this around.
- First, we are allocating up to $300 million towards premium relief and continuity of care issues.
- Second, we are reforming the way health insurance is structured in Minnesota, making it cheaper, better, and easier to get in the future. We are bringing competition back into the equation.
HF1 is now headed to a joint House and Senate Conference Committee for debate, and to work out any differences.
This won't fix the entire situation, but it is a very good step in the right direction toward fixing the failed Democrat health care insurance debacle. I will follow up with you as soon as the final results come in.
3. This week, my bill, HF 113 was heard in the Job Growth and Energy Affordability Committee (JGEA). This bill would allow for the construction of a new gas-fired power plant in Becker.
As you know, Xcel Energy is shutting down 2 of our 3 coal units at the Sherco Power plant. This will begin in 2023 and in 2026. The need to replace the power generation, the lost property tax revenue and the jobs lost to Central Minnesota is imperative. The time to start doing so in now.
The Public Utilities Commission chose NOT to approve the construction of a new power plant last fall. They wanted to delay it for more study.
Study?
To me, that means let the issue die. I am not going to sit by and let the bureaucrats in St. Paul slowly drain the economic life out of Central Minnesota.
My bill, HF 113 passed the Job Growth and Energy Affordability Committee 16-3. We had overwhelming bipartisan support. The next stop is the House Floor, which is expected to happen in the near future. We are very optimistic that it will pass.
This bill is also being carried in the state Senate by Senator Andrew Mathews. It should be heard in the near future, and it is being received very favorably by his fellow senators.
4. This week I also met with about 80 farmers from our district. They had shared their concerns about over-reach by the DNR.
Many of these families have been farming for up to 4 generations. They all had similar stories about how new DNR regulations are squeezing the life out of them. I plan to address these issues head-on this session. Once again, big government, bureaucratic over reach is to blame.
It's time to drain the swamp.
Have a GREAT weekend!
God's peace,
Jim