Dear Friends,
Governor Dayton has said he wants the 2014 session to be an "unsesssion." Republicans couldn't agree more. We've taken that goal to heart, and so far the biggest accomplishments at the legislature have been undoing the disastrous mistakes made by Democrats last session.
We've already repealed just some of the $2.1 billion in taxes that have been burdening Minnesota families since last summer, and yesterday we fixed yet another Democrats mistake.
You probably heard reports in the media last month about school district policies that left some students without a meal at lunch time if they didn't have enough money in their lunch account. During floor debate on the K-12 Education Finance bill, Rep. Joe McDonald from Delano offered an amendment to a bill that would have fixed the problem, and expanded the free lunch program to include 62,000 low-income students. Democrats had a chance to fix this problem last year, and they voted no, effectively choosing bureaucracy and government spending over fixing a glaring issue that left some children hungry at lunch time.
Yesterday, we finally got a chance to fix that mistake. The House voted unanimously to approve $3.5 million in additional funding to make sure no student goes hungry at lunch time if they're behind on their payments. A similar provision is expected to pass the Senate, and should be signed by the Governor as early as next week.
MNsure enrollment deadline approaching
MNsure, Minnesota's ObamaCare health insurance exchange, continues to fall short of even the worst-case projections with the open enrollment deadline just a few weeks away. MNsure has enrolled just 19% of the original enrollment goal of 177,125 commercial plans by March 31st.
In the short-term, the IRS deadline for purchasing health insurance is March 31st, when payments must be received for Minnesotans who have selected a plan through the exchange.
A family of four faces a $285 penalty if they have yet to purchase insurance by the deadline, even if they've already spent hours on hold with the MNsure call center, had their application disappear due to technical errors on the website, or realized that MNsure premiums simply aren't affordable for their family budget. That penalty will increase to $695 per person in 2016.
House Republicans offered amendments last week that would have waived those penalties for 2014, or provided tax credits to families who saw their premiums increase thanks to ObamaCare, but Democrats said no, voting against both measures.
It's disappointing that Democrats who were so eager to bring ObamaCare to Minnesota are going to force families to bear the full brunt of ObamaCare penalties, even after the countless stories of Minnesotans struggling with a broken website, or facing skyrocketing premiums and deductibles.
District Visitors
Thanks to Mark and Deb from St. Francis, MN who stopped by while visiting the Capitol for ABATE Day. ABATE stands for the American Bikers for Awareness, Training and Education, and is a non-profit organization that helps educate motorcyclists and the public about issues involving motorcycles.
We had a number of visitors this week--thanks to each and every one of you that stopped by, and please remember that if you're planning a visit to St. Paul and would like to schedule a meeting, you can contact my office at rep.kurt.daudt@house.mn or by phone at 651-296--5364. My door is always open!
Have a great St. Patrick's Day weekend, and enjoy the warmer weather that's finally here.
Kurt Daudt
House Republican Leader
State Representative, District 31A