Dear Neighbor,
The House’s first bill deadline arrives today, meaning much of this week’s focus has been on moving bills through preliminary committee stages.
A bill (H.F. 2021) I have authored to increase special education funding by $40 million is one of those proposals advancing in the House. The underfunding of special education is a big issue in regional centers such as St. Cloud, where costs incurred are not fully reimbursed by the state or federal governments. This bill would help close that funding gap and mitigate a whole host of impacts it causes.
Along with that, I have been heavily involved in formulating “targets” for various areas of spending for the next two-year state budget. I continue meeting with state officials and chairs of House finance committees to establish a framework. Things are coming together well and we anticipate unveiling our proposal very soon. The Senate also is expected to put out a plan of its own in the coming days. The governor will also likely be putting out his supplemental budget proposal next week. Once those are all on the table, we will have the ability to compare and contrast the three budget blueprints and work toward a finished product.
The two most noteworthy bills to come to the House floor this week pertain to Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority reform and funding that is crucial for local transportation projects statewide.
As I mentioned in a recent email, the latter bill provides $5 million to facilitate transactions necessary under the state’s “no net loss” policy for wetlands impacted by road construction projects. The funding for this initiative had been depleted and this bill helps to ensure work can begin with the upcoming road construction season. The governor enacted it this morning.
The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Association (MSFA) bill we passed would increase oversight and accountability to that panel. Serious concerns over improprieties among MSFA members and executive staff have made headlines in recent months, leading to a pair of top MSFA officials submitting their resignations. The House proposal overhauls the MSFA governance structure and limits the use of free suites at U.S. Bank Stadium to help resolve the institutional problems at the MSFA in order to do what is best for the public.
One of the next big bills we expect to bring before a vote of the full House pertains to health insurance. This “reinsurance” bill is designed to bring badly needed stability to the individual market and also reduce premium rates by 17-18 percent or more next year. Prior to the enactment of Obamacare, Minnesota had a program (MCHA) that helped achieve the goals of this new program and it was a model for the nation. While current federal laws prohibit us from bringing back MCHA in exactly the way it was before, this new reinsurance bill should help further improve the individual insurance market. Look for more details in an upcoming email.
Sincerely,
Jim