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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Steve Green (R)

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Legislative Update (3-13-15)

Friday, March 13, 2015

Dear Neighbor,

Thank you to those of you who took time to visit me in St. Paul this week or contacted me via phone or email to express your thoughts and concerns on legislation and issues that are taking place at the Capitol. It is an honor to serve you and I value your input. Together we can continue to make Minnesota an outstanding place to live and raise a family.

Last week I met with a number of local nursing home administrators to gain a better understanding of the problems they are facing.

Our nursing homes in rural Minnesota have seen a lack of funding over the last several years. This has led to an increased inability to recruit and retain caregivers which has presented a host of problems for our nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

In order to begin addressing the crisis that is taking place in Minnesota’s long term care industry, legislation has been introduced this year that seeks to address the needs of our aging population and those that care for them.

Notable among these is House File 3, which is a top priority for the House Republican Majority. HF 3 has several provisions that will help to prioritize long-term care funding. One such provision directs the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to better utilize existing programs to help train workers for and fill long-term care facility openings. Additionally, HF 3 also creates a long-term care savings plan to encourage people to save for future long-term care costs (Makes up to $1,000 per person, per year exempt from income tax).

Our seniors and those that care for them deserve to be a priority. Nursing homes and long term care facilities, especially those in Rural Minnesota, remain a top priority for the new House Republican Majority.

Another issue that has been hotly debated at the Capitol is Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) and what we can do to stop its spread.

The state’s AIS aid funding has come under a large amount of scrutiny in recent weeks as lawmakers have proposed cutting or eliminating such funds. I would encourage any local lake associations and other groups that receive AIS prevention funds to go above and beyond in their record keeping of how these dollars are used as I foresee these funds undergoing increased scrutiny in the coming weeks and months.

A reminder that I will be hosting a series of town halls throughout the district on March 28th. I encourage all to attend these events and voice their questions, comments, or concerns on issues affecting our area and state. I will have more information next week on times and locations.

As always, do not hesitate to contact me if you ever have a question or comment about a piece of legislation or a state agency. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-9918 or via email at rep.steve.green@house.mn.

 

Have a great weekend,

Steve