Dear Neighbors,
The state currently has a projected $1.2 billion budget surplus. This is great news! In order to determine how to manage the surplus, DFL legislative leaders passed a “supplemental budget” last week. (Their options were to: give it back to taxpayers, save it, or spend it.)
In summary, the House voted on party line to pass a 450-page budget proposal that increases spending by $323 million this budget period and grows spending by another $1 billion in 2016. The DFL House leaders’ legislation also bails out Obamacare by hundreds of millions of dollars to make up for federal money that didn’t come to the state. The bill commits to the same bailout practice indefinitely instead of reforming the way government works.
Quite frankly, this is not such great news for the hardworking taxpayers of the state.
Last year, as a result of the DFL one-party rule, government grew by a historic 10-percent ($3 billion). That’s an additional $1,500 worth of spending for every man, woman, and child. Now, DFL leaders are adding an extra $1 billion. I fear we are heading toward yet another tipping point. Folks in our neck of the woods understand a commonsense fact: government cannot afford to keep making promises it can’t keep with money it doesn’t have.
I voted against this spending and Obamacare bailout, because I strongly believe we should be more prudent with the hard-earned money taxpayers send to us.
Senate office building gets bigger, more expensive
I’ve been contacted by numerous people in northwest Minnesota who are very unhappy with the proposal to construct a $90 million Senate office building.
If you remember, its unpopularity has to do with its high costs, the fact that it is unneeded, and how it was passed in the dark of night without public input.
Last week, DFL House leaders passed a proposal to construct an even bigger, more expensive building. Their proposal was vague, though. It did not include the building’s exact costs, just that the project will be given a blank check to move ahead.
It is very rare for legislation to be handled in this manner, and it really does pain those of us who are here to serve and make things better.
MNsure update: enrollment numbers and Congressional investigation
Officials at MNsure, Minnesota’s extension of Obamacare, released updated enrollment figures this month. Here are the details:
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Individual Market (commercial plans): 47,046
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Small Group (SHOP/Small Biz): 807
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MinnesotaCare: 34,219
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Medical Assistance: 87,986
Enrollment in commercial and SHOP plans is needed to make the $160 million program self-sustaining. Unfortunately, only a third of the enrollees belong to those groups, and consequently, MNsure is set to have a $5 million deficit next year.
On another note, the U.S. Congress is currently investigating the troubled implementation and continued problems at MNsure.
A portion of a Congressional letter issued to Gov. Dayton, dated March 28, reads:
“It is clear that the Minnesota exchange has failed to live up to expectations. Despite receiving over $155 million dollars in federal grants to set up its ObamaCare exchange, the exchange has managed to enroll only approximately 38,000 people. Put differently, for every person enrolled by the exchange, federal taxpayers gave the state approximately $5,000.”
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Click here to read more about the investigation.
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Click here to read “MNsure defects were no surprise” from the Star Tribune.
Since the beginning of the year, colleagues on my side of the aisle have tried to confront and fix the issues at MNsure. I am sorry to report that our pleas have fallen on deaf ears by the majority party.
Visitors
Warroad High School student council leaders
Thief River Falls Day on the Hill
Randy Nordin from Lancaster stopped by my office this week to discuss his work as Executive Director of Northwest Community Action. Randy also owns and operates PoDCo, LLC.
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My door is always open to the needs and priorities of our area. Please feel free to let me know if I can be of assistance to you and your family. I am here to serve you!
Dan
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