Dear Neighbor,
On Monday, the House took up the Health Insurance Exchange legislation. This was a product of the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) passed by Congress in 2010 that asks each state to set up an internet portal (known as an “exchange”) for the purchase of health insurance. This is not a free market proposal. Please do not be fooled by the word “exchange” when you hear about how this is being implemented. This is a government exchange. Never in the history of Minnesota has an entity been created with such enormous power and so little oversight. One major concern is personal privacy. We don’t know what private health data this government exchange will collect from Minnesotans or what other state and federal agencies will have access to that information. Equally as concerning is the creation of the unelected and unaccountable seven-member political board that will determine the future of healthcare inside the government exchange. This board is accountable to no one, will have unchecked power, and will drastically affect your ability to choose your own healthcare plan.
Furthermore, there is absolutely no guarantee that Minnesotans will be able to keep their own doctor. The government exchange seeks to control the entire health insurance market in order to limit your choice of insurance coverage and prevent you from choosing your own doctor. In order to keep their healthcare affordable through federal subsidies, people will have to purchase their health insurance from the government exchange. Even the DFL chief author of the bill admitted in committee that the government exchange would reduce the number of health insurance options from more than 750 to less than 60. Given the fewer number of options, it’s hard to believe you’ll be able to keep your own doctor.
Fewer options bring higher costs. To fund its operations, the seven-member political board will levy a tax up to 3.5% on every plan sold within the government exchange. The projected revenue is depended upon high participation in the government exchange. The fewer the people who use the exchange, the higher the tax on premiums will be for everyone else who uses it. Instead of lowering costs, the government exchange will make healthcare more expensive and less affordable.
Making sure people have access to quality healthcare is very important to me. However, this government exchange does nothing to guarantee better healthcare, lower insurance premiums, or create savings in the healthcare system. Instead, it’s an extremely expensive government infrastructure bill that imposes layers of bureaucracy between Minnesotans and their healthcare.
Because of these reasons, I voted no on passage of this bill. I spoke on the House floor with my thoughts on the legislation. You can view the video clip here.
MINIMUM WAGE
Many small business owners in our community have contacted with me with concerns on the minimum wage increase bill. Adding to the already-heavy tax and regulatory burden our small businesses have is only going to drive businesses to cut jobs or shut down altogether. One of the attractions in our area is the St. Croix River. Many businesses – especially restaurants – locate there for the beautiful view of the river. Imposing a minimum wage hike would only encourage restaurants to locate on the Wisconsin side of the St. Croix River and perhaps even cause some of them on the Minnesota side to relocate across the river. The best way to create better-paying jobs is to reduce the burdens on our business owners. Increasing the minimum wage would only result in fewer available working hours and fewer jobs.
CHILDCARE UNIONIZATION
I’m also keeping my eye on House File 950 – the childcare unionization bill. This bill is scheduled for a hearing on Thursday in the Early Childhood & Youth Development Policy Committee. I am opposed to unionizing these small business owners. Pre-school aged children do not deserve to be caught up in a political power grab to benefit union leadership and their partisan activities.
MARRIAGE
On Thursday March 7, Minnesota for Marriage will be holding a rally on the Capitol steps in support of keeping marriage defined as one man and one woman from 2:30 to 3:00. If this is an issue that is important for you, I encourage you to attend.
CONSTITUENT EVENTS
Once a month, I’m going to be available for one-on-one listening sessions by appointment with constituents in the district. The next one will be March 15, at Gorman’s Restaurant (11011 Stillwater Boulevard N., Lake Elmo, MN 55042) beginning at 2:00 p.m. Please call my legislative assistant Kate at 651-296-9471 to set up an appointment in advance.
On Saturday, March 16, I am again hosting a "Day at the Capitol” event. This is an opportunity to come to the State Office Building and the Capitol and have a chance to sit in a committee room, ask questions, have a light lunch, and an official tour of the Capitol. Please contact my office to RSVP by Wednesday, March 13 if you would like to attend (so I am sure to have enough sandwiches and sodas, as well as how many tour guides we will need). The event will begin at 11:00 a.m.
As always, I am interested in your feedback. Please feel free to contact me by e-mail at Rep.Kathy.Lohmer@House.MN or contact my office at 651-296-4244. You can also send mail to my office address: 239 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.
Sincerely,
Kathy