Neighbors,
I had a great time reading When I Grow Up to Ms. Lenton’s second grade class at Edward Neill Elementary School this morning! Our children have such magnificent goals for their future – from becoming a teacher to becoming a firefighter. I am proud to have the opportunity in the legislature to ensure that they are educated for the future, and I am working hard to ensure that every avenue is open to them to achieve their dreams.
MNsure
This past week, the nonpartisan Office of the Legislative Auditor released their report on MNsure’s launch and first year. The report echoed a great deal of the concerns you have shared with me: long wait times, unhelpful customer services, and a website that had a tendency to crash. Besides these structural problems, MNsure consistently fell short of its enrollment goals. This is concerning, as the promises made to your family for convenient and cost-effective health insurance are not being met.
My colleagues and I are working hard to pass solutions that will help you and your family, including legislation that makes MNsure more transparent and offers greater health insurance choice to your family.
Update on Commissioner Pay Raises
Last night, the House voted to suspend commissioner pay raises until July 1st and give oversight back to the legislature for future pay raises. While we cannot prevent Governor Dayton from eventually making the choice to raise commissioner pay on July 1st, this delay gives him an opportunity to reconsider the effect of these raises in a time where take-home pay is stagnant for many Minnesotans, and the reinstatement of legislative oversight prevents this from happening in the future.
Stay in Touch
I had a wonderful morning at my in-district office hours on Valentine’s Day. Thank you to those of you that stopped by Flavor at the Depot to visit with me!
Continue to stay in touch to discuss your thoughts and concerns on legislation introduced this session. If you plan on visiting my office in St. Paul, let me know by calling my office at (651) 296-8891, or email me directly at rep.drew.christensen@house.mn. Make sure that your friends and family stay informed by encouraging them to sign up for my emails here.
I am honored to serve as your voice at our State Capitol.
Rep. Drew Christensen