Dear neighbors,
The governor’s budget has dominated talk here at the Capitol for the past two weeks, but for three days this week, it’s going to take a back seat to guns.
The House’s Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee will devote three days of hearings (Feb 5, 6 and 7) to discuss proposals to reduce gun violence. The committee will debate ideas such as gun background checks, the mental health system, authorizing school teachers and administrators to carry firearms and restrictions on the ownership of certain hardware (assault rifles, large capacity magazines).
In light of the bloodshed at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., and even a workplace in Minneapolis, a discussion about the causes and possible solutions to this growing epidemic is long overdue. But we must not let our emotion get the better of us. We need to seek to make our schools and streets safer but still protect law-abiding citizens their Second Amendment rights.
I think all sides of this debate agree that the status quo is not acceptable. I am committed to safer communities. So, while the federal government holds its hearing and has its debate, we need to so the same here in St. Paul.
Health exchange bill moving forward
Legislation establishing a health insurance exchange was passed out of the Government Operations Committee. Its next stop is the Civil Law Committee.
This legislation has the capability to save Minnesotans lots of money. A centerpiece of the Affordable Care Act, the exchange will be an online marketplace where we can compare and purchase health insurance coverage.
It is estimated that the health insurance exchange will serve one in five Minnesotans — more than 1.2 million Minnesotans. Families are projected to save over $1 billion by using the exchange to purchase insurance — with the average family saving $500 and a lower-income family saving approximately $1,800.
Nearly 200,000 small businesses employees are also expected to access coverage through the exchange. Small businesses currently pay on average 18 percent more than large businesses, an average of $11,000 per year for a family coverage. Small employers are projected to save up to 7.5 percent off of premium costs in the exchange and those eligible for tax credits will save even more. Small business owners would be able to choose the plan for their workers, or let their employees choose the plan that’s right for them.
Let’s stay in touch
Please feel free to contact me with your questions, suggestions and concerns. My office is room 549 in the State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-4201 and by email at rep.sheldon.johnson@house.mn. You can also monitor activities at the House, track bills, watch live video and sign up for my email update list by going to http://www.house.mn.
Sheldon