Friends,
The focus of our work this week in the House was on health and health care. We started the week with the Health and Human Services Omnibus Policy Bill and ended it with a long debate over medical marijuana. These are issues that affect many of our families.
Medical marijuana is a complicated, emotional issue. A simplistic view of it pits sick kids and their families against law enforcement. That, of course, is not the case.
My colleague, Rep. Carly Melin, has done a great job crafting legislation that could pass both chambers and get a signature from the governor.
The bill we passed would create a medical cannabis clinical trial, allowing limited participation by children and adults with severe illnesses. The proposal also includes the option of a state-based manufacturer of medication if no federal source of medication is available.
Qualifying conditions would include seizures (including those characteristic with epilepsy), cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Tourette’s syndrome, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), and Crohn’s disease.
The bill also provides assurance that medication will be available if no federal clinical trial is approved and includes the ability for vapor delivery (plant/leaf) of medical marijuana, but only under direct, in-person supervision and the control of a licensed health care provider.
It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s a good start. This will be an issue that future legislatures
will revisit.
Addressing the shortage of health care providers
There is a looming health care crisis in Minnesota. In many part of our state, there aren’t enough health care providers to care for our aging population. As more and more Baby Boomers retire, this situation is only going to get worse.
That’s why I introduced legislation that will allow advanced practice registered nurses to practice independently from doctors. It will increase Minnesotans’ access to health care providers – especially in underserved rural parts of the state – and help create stability in the communities where APRNs treat our families.
Advanced practice registered nurses are nurses with postgraduate education, such as nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse midwives or registered nurse anesthetists. Minnesota currently has more than 6,000 advanced practice registered nurses. They will be able to provide many of the services that too many have had to wait too long for or even go without completely.
This is a commonsense solution to a growing problem. It also will help reduce health care costs. That’s why it passed overwhelmingly.
HHS Policy bill
This may be a short session, but the HHS Policy Bill included legislation offered by 19 different lawmakers. It earned bipartisan approval.
One of the issues addressed in the bill were e-cigarettes, and for good reason. This is a growing practice, and we really don’t know much about the long-term effects of “vaping.” That’s why we are prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes on public school property and in state government buildings, are allowing local governments to regulate e-cigarettes, made selling e-cigarettes to minors a misdemeanor crime, and require child-resistant packaging for e-cigarette liquid.
The omnibus bill also included language that will protect foster children from secondhand smoke by requiring licensed foster homes to maintain a smoke-free environment. It prohibits smoking indoors, in motor vehicles and outdoors when a child is present and exposed to smoke. This will help protect very vulnerable children while they are under the care of the state.
Another growing health care concern addressed is the rising melanoma rates among Minnesota teens. Our bill will prohibit children under 18 from using commercial tanning equipment. Ultraviolet radiation in tanning beds is as serious a carcinogen as cigarette smoke.
Taxpayer Update
The Minnesota Department of Revenue announced this week that it will issue refunds or notify taxpayers no later than June 27 if they are affected by the 2013 tax law changes.
The tax law changes were completed on April 2, but the Department of Revenue estimates that about 260,000 returns that qualified for the middle class tax cuts were filed before that day.
It is important to note that income tax returns must be adjusted to reflect the correct income amount before taxpayers file a property tax refund. Therefore, the department is asking homeowners and renters who are affected by the 2013 tax law changes to wait to file their property tax refund claims. If you have not filed your property tax refund yet – wait. If you already filed, wait and do not amend at this time, the department will contact you after we begin reviewing property tax refunds.
For more information, go to www.revenue.state.mn.us and click on the orange “Tax Law Changes” button.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Dan