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State Representative Tara Mack
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-5506
For more information contact: Jodi Boyne 651-296-0640
NEWS COLUMN
March 30 Legislative Update
Friends,
Hello from St. Paul - I hope this update finds you well! We spent most of our time this week at the Capitol on the House floor passing bills and getting them to the Governor – the legislative session is starting to wrap up, committee deadlines have passed, and we are focused on getting bills voted on and passed off of the floor.
The House passed a bill this week that increases the penalty for selling synthetic drugs to a felony, expands the list of synthetic substances, and grants the Board of Pharmacy authority to add new chemicals used by drug producers to the synthetic substance list. HF2508 has bipartisan support and support from law enforcement and county attorneys.
A conference committee met this week to talk repayment of the K12 school shift. The bill (HF2083) uses the state’s $1 billion of cash reserves to pay back the entire K-12 shift from 2011, and also makes the first repayment of the $2 billion education shift from the legislature in 2010. This repayment follows through on the promise made to the schools last summer.
We also passed the Health and Human Services Omnibus bill (HF2294), which promotes accountability and value in our health system, while still supporting providers and families, and using resources efficiently. After the difficult decisions of last year, this bill continues to prioritize resources for those with disabilities, puts success standards in place for our residential group homes, implements a return on investment study and improves transparency and coordination with our health care providers. After a great deal of work, it was exciting to see this legislation pass with bipartisan support.
I also had the opportunity this week to present the Autism Spectrum Disorder Taskforce Report to the Committee on Health and Human Services Reform. This is a report that was put together by the Autism Spectrum Disorder Taskforce that I have been a member of over the past two years. This report will serve as a resource and guide for legislators relating to Autism issues moving forward.
Finally, please take a moment to fill out my 2012 Legislative Survey. I appreciate your feedback!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Mack2012
Have a good weekend,
Tara
News Items
- April 6 Legislative Update - (Posted: 2012-04-06 00:00:00)
- March 30 Legislative Update - (Posted: 2012-03-30 00:00:00)
- March 23 Legislative Update - (Posted: 2012-03-23 00:00:00)
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