Friends,
The March Madness 2017 NCAA Tournament is here. Unfortunately, the Gophers lost yesterday but it was a great season and exciting things are ahead for this team. Below is this week's Drew's News from the Capitol.
Bipartisan Health Insurance Reform Passes House
The Minnesota Premium Security Plan (HF5), which establishes a state-based reinsurance program, passed the House on a bipartisan vote of 78-53. This program is designed to stabilize and reduce premiums by mitigating the impact of high-risk individuals, or those who are the most sick, on the individual health insurance market. According to Minnesota Management and Budget, the proposal is estimated to reduce premiums by 17-18 percent.
Minnesota had a health insurance market that was a model for the nation only to be devastated by Obamacare and MNsure. The Minnesota Premium Security Plan is a significant step toward repairing the damage done to Minnesota’s health insurance market. Not only will those with the greatest need be taken care of but it is also projected to reduce premium rates by as much as 18 percent.
Teacher Retention Reform
Schools should have the ability to keep the best teachers in the classroom and the current “Last In, First Out” (LIFO) system arbitrarily puts new teachers at the top of the list when lay-offs must occur, whether hey are excelling in the classroom or not.
This week we passed legislation in the House that will allow school districts and local bargaining units to explore alternative options that may better serve teachers, students, and families. By removing the default LIFO policy in state statute, school districts and local bargaining units are free to explore alternative options in addition to seniority, helping keep the best teachers in the classroom.
Every child in Minnesota deserves a world-class education regardless of zip code. As an educator, I see firsthand how important it is to have an excellent teacher in every classroom. This bill will help to ensure districts are able to make decisions to retain the very best teachers.
‘Christensen Cuts the Cost of College’ bills heard in committee
The Christensen Cuts the Cost of College bills is about lowering the cost of attending college in Minnesota. For too long students have not only faced rising tuition for classes but also large increases in extra fees. These bills attempt to tackle both causes of increased costs.
House File 2313 will appropriate money to lower tuition at Minnesota State schools by at least one percent for the 2017-2018 school year and freeze tuition for the 2018-2019 academic year.
House File 2197 and House File 2198 are two attempts at reducing the amount of fees students at Minnesota State and the University of Minnesota pay. House File 2197 requires a campus-wide vote to approve any increase in student fees over the previous year; while HF 2198 prohibits mandatory student fees that fund non-instructional student programs, making student fees optional. An increase in student fees directly related to academic, administrative, or health services are exempted from both bills.
All three bills were laid over for possible inclusion in the Higher Education omnibus bill.
Rep. Christensen presenting his bills to the Higher Education Committee
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