By Rep. Paul Anderson
Minnesota’s online health insurance exchange, MNsure, was in the news again last week with the announcement that PreferredOne would no longer offer plans through the exchange for next year. What made this especially newsworthy is that PreferredOne had the largest share of commercial plans sold through the exchange this year. According to figures from MNsure, 59 percent of all Minnesotans who purchased commercial plans went with PreferredOne. More than 30,000 Minnesotans must now decide whether to stay with that company by renewing directly or going back to the exchange and looking for another provider. If they renew directly with the company, they won’t be eligible for the government subsidy. If they choose to work with MNsure again, the next enrollment period begins Nov. 15. Premium rates for next year’s health plans purchased through the exchange are expected to be released early next month.
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The Minnesota House of Representatives offers a unique program for high school juniors interested in gaining hands-on experience with state government by serving as a page at the Capitol in St. Paul. The page program has been in place for 40 years and is one of only three such programs in the nation. High school pages attend meetings with legislators, assist members during floor sessions, and participate in mock committee sessions. Eleven four-day sessions are planned for the 2015 session, and they will run from Feb. 9 until early May.
Program participants are selected in the fall of each year based on a formal process that includes an application, faculty recommendation, and an essay. Stipends are available to defray expenses. More information is available by logging on to www.house.mn and clicking the “High School Page Program” link near the bottom of the site or by calling 651-296-7175. Local schools can also provide further assistance.
Several students from our district have taken part in the program in recent years. It’s a great experience, one I would highly recommend. The deadline for application to the program is Nov. 21.
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In case you need something else to worry about, I ran across this item recently: Because of our long and cold winter last year, and this spring and summer’s unusual wetness, there is a shortage of seasoned firewood in Minnesota. The long winter depleted last year’s supply, and the wet summer kept loggers out of the woods in northern Minnesota. Some firewood companies up north have either quit selling altogether or are way behind in filling orders and not taking on any new customers.
The situation is not quite as bad farther south in the state, but the price of good firewood has certainly gone up. Saw one quote from a suburban company selling dried oak or maple that’s cut, split, and delivered for upwards of $600 per cord. There’s also an additional fee if that delivery is in northern Minnesota, where there is little or none available. Recalling last year’s run-up in the price of propane, those who heat with that fuel and utilize wood as a back-up are concerned about the cost of heating for the coming winter.
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