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One of these efforts includes my bipartisan bill to bar employers from requesting passwords for social media accounts of employees or job applicants. We don’t let our employers into our homes or our bedrooms, and we shouldn’t let them into our digital lives without permission either. Channel 5 covered the bill recently here.
The constitutional right to privacy can sometimes be put in jeopardy when law enforcement uses emerging tools to track people, including Minnesotans who aren’t even charged with a crime. These can include cellphone tracking devices or license plate readers and I’ve introduced a bill to mandate public disclosure when these “tracking warrants” are used. Law enforcement agencies are also more frequently using drones to gather data, and I’ve introduced a bill mandating a warrant under most circumstances before they use one.
Making Health Care More Affordable
All Minnesotans deserve access to affordable health care but folks who purchase their health insurance in the private market are still experiencing high premiums. As a short term measure, I’m committed to delivering direct discounts to eligible Minnesotans (instead of writing blank checks to big insurance companies making record profits, as Republicans have done).
More needs to be done to solve this on a long-term basis, and people have spoken loud and clear in support of a public health insurance option. According to recent polling, 70 percent of Minnesotans support this idea. Governor Walz has proposed ONEcare, a new choice for affordable health insurance with comprehensive care, including a quality network of providers across the state.
Minnesotans expect affordable health care and they want the same for their neighbors, friends, and relatives. I’m committed to having this discussion and protecting coverage for the vast majority of Minnesotans who receive it from their employer and existing public programs.
Holding Big Pharma Accountable
Minnesotans have shared some heartbreaking personal stories, and I am working to hold pharmaceutical corporations accountable for their unconscionable prescription drug price-gouging. In fact, I’ve introduced a bill, HF 4, to outright ban this practice.
A particularly egregious example of this is the obscene price of insulin, which people with diabetes count on every single day. One Minnesotan, Alec Smith died at age 26 because he simply couldn’t afford to pay $1,300 for his monthly supply. After Alec’s death in 2017, his parents courageously began telling their story in hopes of preventing the same tragedy from happening to anyone else.
The Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act (House File 485) creates a means for Minnesotans who are unable to afford their needed insulin to get their prescription filled in emergencies. It also authorizes pharmacies to fill a temporary supply of insulin for patients whose prescription is out-of-date. Reimbursements for pharmacies would be paid through a fee on manufacturers of insulin.
We can assume Big Pharma is throwing around their special interest muscle behind the scenes at the Capitol to stop these important initiatives. Now is no time to be feckless as this corporate special interest pressure mounts; I remain fully committed to ensuring all Minnesotans can get the medications they need at a price they can afford.
A Great Start for All Kids
Minnesotans want their children to get a great start, and they want the same for their neighbors' children. My fellow DFLers in the House and I are committed to ensuring all of our youngest Minnesotans can have this opportunity. House File 1 – the Great Start for All Minnesota Children Act – is the very first of our top 10 priority bills. The legislation, which received its first public hearing recently, makes new investments in early learning, child care, prenatal care, and home visiting.
The chief author of the bill, Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn of Eden Prairie, was a guest on the Minnesota Values Podcast this week to discuss the initiative. Click here to listen to the new episode, or you can find it on iTunes or Stitcher.
Please continue to reach out with your ideas, input, or if I can ever be of assistance. It’s an honor to represent our community at the State Capitol.
Sincerely,
John Lesch
State Representative
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