SESSION WEEKLY A NON-PARTISAN PUBLICATION OF THE MINNESOTA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 5, 1995 VOLUME 12, NUMBER 18 WEEK IN REVIEW. . . APRIL 27 - May 4, 1995 HIGHLIGHTS Health care . . . MinnesotaCare bill defeated after eight-hour debate After debating the MinnesotaCare bill for more than eight hours during a marathon session where 38 different amendments to the bill were considered -- including two dealing with abortion -- the House voted down a bill that would have made substantial changes to the state's subsidized insurance program, MinnesotaCare. The vote was 57-77. The bill is now tabled, which means it may be reconsidered by House members at a future date. The Senate voted May 1 to also table the bill. MinnesotaCare was originally approved by the 1992 Legislature and amended every year since then. In introducing this year's bill to modify the program, bill sponsor Rep. Roger Cooper (DFL-Bird Island) said it had moved through a lengthy committee process, during which many members had a chance to offer and reject amendments to the bill (HF1077). The process continued on the House floor. The following are among the major provisions in the bill: Elective abortions, rape Early in the floor debate, House members voted to include an amendment sponsored by Rep. Ken Otremba (DFL-Long Prairie) that would restrict Minnesota health insurance companies from paying for elective abortions. The vote for his amendment was 83-49. Otremba said such abortions are not "appropriate and necessary" health care. Currently, the state requires private insurance companies to cover basic procedures which are "appropriate and necessary" to a patient's health. Elective abortions are defined as all abortions except those that are performed to save the life of the female, or in cases of rape or incest. But women would have had to report a rape within 48 hours in order for her health insurance to pay for an abortion, under the amendment. "That is simply unfair and frankly mean," said Rep. Jean Wagenius (DFL-Mpls) who sponsored an unsuccessful amendment that would have done away with the provision. "The intention of the 48 hours is so someone doesn't come in and say they were raped so they could get an abortion," Otremba said. Rep. Lee Greenfield (DFL-Mpls) said the Otremba amendment "tells every citizen in the state what they can and cannot do." Another amendment, sponsored by Rep. Todd Van Dellen (IR-Plymouth), specifically stated that MinnesotaCare could not cover elective abortions. The vote for that amendment was 86-44. Insurance coverage Minnesota health insurance companies could not fail to cover treatments which may extend a patient's life, under an amendment sponsored by Rep. Kris Hasskamp (DFL-Crosby). That amendment could, however, be interpreted in varied manners, some lawmakers said. It said insurance companies cannot deem a procedure "medically inappropriate on the basis of the patient's present or predicted age, disability, degree of need for future treatment, or quality of life . . ." "So under this language, a 100-year-old woman would have to have a heart transplant if it would extend her life for six months," said Rep. Dee Long (DFL-Mpls). But Rep. Jim Rice (DFL-Mpls) said the amendment "says insurance companies cannot truncate life." Without the language, Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL-North St. Paul) said her 90-year-old grandfather's health insurance would not be obligated to pay for his knee replacement surgery because he is too old. Her grandfather did have the replacement surgery this spring. "And he climbs in and out of his fishing boat," McCollum said. For-profit HMOs Another successful amendment which would have greatly changed the way health care services operate in Minnesota would have allowed health maintenance organizations (HMOs) to operate as for-profit corporations, said Greenfield. Under current law, HMOs must be non-profit organizations. Rep. Greg Davids (IR-Harmony) offered the amendment. The vote was 67-63. "Some of you complain about the salaries of CEOs of major companies. But you haven't seen anything," Greenfield said, predicting large salary increases for those who head HMOs. Expanding access Many IR legislators protested the bill's plan to make more people eligible for MinnesotaCare. Under the bill, income eligibility requirements would rise so single adults and couples with no children could earn up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level. That would be up from the current 125 percent cap. So couples earning up to about $14,760 and single people earning up to $11,040 would then qualify for the health coverage. The money to pay for such an expansion would come from the health care access fund, which finances MinnesotaCare. Money comes to that fund through a 2 percent tax on health care providers. A successful amendment offered by Rep. Kevin Knight (IR-Bloomington) would exempt dentists from paying that 2 percent tax. Health officials haven't determined the fund can successfully pay for the expansion, according to Van Dellen. House Minority Leader Steve Sviggum (IR- Kenyon) agreed. But MinnesotaCare exists only as long as the health care access fund shows a positive projected fund balance over the next two bienniums, Cooper said. That fund will have a positive balance through 1999, even with the expansion, he said. Should that change, the commissioner of health can slow or end MinnesotaCare enrollment and eligibility, Cooper said. Still, Sviggum said the increased eligibility created a major obstacle to the bill's passage. Should the bill remain tabled, MinnesotaCare guidelines will not change from the provisions specified in current law. The health coverage eligibility, for example, would not be expanded and MinnesotaCare will still include the regulated all-pay option (RAPO), which HF1077 proposed to do away with. RAPO allows the state to standardize insurance prices and ensure health insurance companies operate under uniform rules. The bill also would have established a drug discount program for senior citizens. It also would have defined solvency requirements an integrated service network (ISN) would have had to meet before it could begin operating. Under current MinnesotaCare law, ISNs may begin operating in July 1996. Also, the call for every Minnesotan to have health insurance by July 1, 1997, would remain. The bill proposed to strike that date and change the definition of universal coverage so it would be achieved when "every Minnesotan has access to a full range of health care services." -- Jean Thilmany BUSINESS Dueling phone companies A bill to increase competition among Minnesota telephone companies and give Minnesotans more choices for basic telephone service, gained final passage in the House May 3. The vote was 122-8. Currently, a telephone company applies to the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for the right to offer phone service within a certain geographical area. Under this "local exchange monopoly," the company is the only one that can provide local phone service to the area. Under the bill, this practice would end. HF620/SF752*, sponsored by Rep. Edgar Olson (DFL-Fosston), would permit many companies to enter the same calling area. The change would give Minnesotans a real choice for basic telephone service. A Minneapolis resident, for example, could switch from US West to a cable television operator, a cellular telephone firm, or any company that receives PUC approval to offer local telephone service. The change also would allow all 100 Minnesota telephone companies -- including major players like US West and GTE -- to venture into other market areas around the state, after gaining approval from the PUC. (The PUC is a quasi-judicial body that regulates the rates and services of Minnesota telephone, natural gas and electric utilities.) The nuts and bolts as to how this deregulation would take place would be laid out in rules established by the PUC. The rule making process would be completed by Aug. 1, 1997. In the interim period, the PUC would be allowed to certify a company as a provider of local telephone service. The PUC also would have to determine how a local telephone company would separate or "unbundle" its services so a competitor could connect to its customers to provide a service. This would make it possible, for example, to receive basic phone service from one company, and voice messaging from another. Another section of the bill would create an "alternative regulation" framework for phone companies to choose. Under the proposed system, certain essential services, as defined by the bill -- call tracing, call number-blocking, and 911-service, for example -- would remain regulated by the PUC. But the price of other non-essential services, such as voice mail, would be determined by market competition, rather than requiring the PUC to certify any rate change by a telephone company. If a telephone company opted for this more relaxed regulatory system, its rates for basic residential and business local service could not increase for three years. A Department of Public Service study would determine what "essential telephone services" should be available to all state households. The study also would address how money from a Universal Service Fund (made up of contributions from all Minnesota telephone companies) would be spent. Specifically, it would examine "whether expenditures from the fund should be used to ensure citizen access to local government and other public access programming." The Department of Public Service would report its recommendations to the Legislature by Jan. 1, 1996. The Senate accepted several House changes made to their version of the bill, so HF620/SF752* now goes to the governor for his consideration. Electronic conference committee updates People with access to the Internet can now easily obtain the latest changes in conference committee schedules -- as well as the daily and weekly schedules of the Minnesota House. The House Public Information Office, with technical help from the House computerization pilot project, has established a system that will automatically e-mail an updated schedule to anyone who asks for it. The schedule will be updated several times each day for distribution to everyone who subscribes to the service. Here's how to subscribe: Address your e-mail message to majordomo@house.leg.state.mn.us. Leave the subject line blank. In the body of the message, type Subscribe daily-schedule. To stop receiving the schedules, send an e-mail message to the same address and in the body of the message type Unsubscribe daily-schedule. The conference committee schedule will sometimes be listed at the bottom of the regular daily committee schedule. The electronic conference committee schedule is only as good as the information we are able to ferret out the old-fashioned way: through endless phone calls and personal contacts. And as many of you know, the legislative pace is very hectic this time of year and changes in meeting times and places occur regularly. So call our office, (612) 296-2146, or the Senate Information Office, (612) 296-0504, with any further questions. Thanks. -- The Editors CRIME Judiciary finance bill House members overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to resurrect the death penalty in Minnesota, but they did approve a number of alterations to a $875.5 million proposal that would fund the state's prisons, courts, and crime prevention programs over the next two-year spending cycle. Following five hours of debate on the House floor May 2, the omnibus judiciary finance bill, sponsored by Rep. Mary Murphy (DFL- Hermantown), was given final passage on a 133-0 vote. (See April 28, 1995, Session Weekly, page 6) The bulk of the funding -- about $547 million -- would go to the Department of Corrections. That's a 28 percent increase over corrections spending for the current biennium. Nearly two-thirds of the corrections budget -- almost $360 million -- would pay for Minnesota's juvenile and adult correctional institutions. While the House bill would create 41 new juvenile prison beds at Red Wing and Sauk Centre, the Senate companion bill would close these facilities by 1997. The House bill (HF1700) also would spend $13 million more in taxpayer money than the Senate measure (SF1653). These and other differences between the two bills will have to be worked out in a House-Senate conference committee. Death penalty Outlawed in Minnesota since 1911, an amendment by Rep. Hilda Bettermann (IR-Brandon) would have reinstated the death penalty for certain offenders convicted of first-degree murder. The amendment was defeated on a 38-95 vote. A sentence of death by lethal injection could have been imposed if any of 14 "aggravating factors" were involved in a first-degree murder. These included a murder done for money, or cases where the murder was "especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel, manifesting exceptional depravity." "We have come to a time when we have to look at the consequences of crime," said Bettermann, adding that some criminals might decide not to murder their victims if they knew that the state could impose a death sentence. A number of lawmakers countered that the death penalty does not deter violent crime, that innocent people are sometimes convicted of murder, and the cost of the lengthy legal appeals required prior to an execution -- as much as $3 million according to Rep. Wes Skoglund (DFL-Mpls) -- would drain resources needed in other areas. "It's not a wise idea to make such an important decision on the floor of the House," said Rep. Teresa Lynch (IR-Andover). She and other legislators suggested that experts should testify on the proposal in committee hearings. The full House last rejected a death penalty amendment during debate on the 1992 omnibus crime bill. The vote was 25-108. Parental liability A successful amendment offered by Rep. Ken Otremba (DFL-Long Prairie) deleted a provision that would have made a parent or legal guardian, who was "grossly negligent" in the care of a minor, guilty of a misdemeanor. Otremba's amendment eliminated language in the bill that would have made parents found guilty of such behavior subject to a maximum of 90 days in jail and a $700 fine. The goal was to encourage parents to make their kids go to school. Otremba said requiring that parents and guardians make a "good faith effort" to exercise "care, supervision, protection, and control" of their children would allow prosecutions of well- intentioned parents. Under current law, parents can be fined up to $50 and face up to 30 days in jail. Transmitting HIV A person who has reason to believe that he or she is infected with HIV, the virus which causes AIDS, and engages in behavior that can transmit the virus to another person could be charged with a felony, under a successful amendment offered by Rep. Steve Sviggum (IR-Kenyon). The vote was 106- 25. A maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine could be imposed for such an intentional act. The provision would apply to a person "knowingly infected with HIV" who engages in acts -- such as sexual intercourse or sharing a syringe while injecting drugs -- that "might result" in the transfer of the virus to another person. Sviggum said the crime and punishment is warranted because of the deadly nature of AIDS. Other lawmakers said that the measure would increase the incidence of AIDS by discouraging people from getting tested for HIV, because they might then be prosecuted under this proposed law. A similar amendment was adopted during floor debate on the 1994 omnibus crime bill. The provision was deleted during conference committee negotiations. Tobacco's not 'cool' An unsuccessful attempt to hike the fine for minors who possess, chew, smoke, or attempt to purchase tobacco was debated for more than an hour. Rep. Mike Osskopp (IR-Lake City) wanted to raise the maximum fine to $1,000 -- up from the current maximum of $200. He said the "extremely stiff fine" would send a message to teens that it's not "cool" to use tobacco. At the suggestion of some lawmakers, the proposed fine was changed to "not less than $100 or more than $500 for repeat offenders." The amendment was rejected on a 62-68 vote. Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Mpls) tried (and failed) to increase the penalty for those who sell tobacco to minors. Her proposal would have made it a felony to sell tobacco to a minor, up from the current gross misdemeanor penalty. "This raises the ante for those who are selling [tobacco]," said Kahn. The proposal failed on a 9-117 vote. Domestic abuse and minors The original bill would have allowed a minor who is at least 15 years old to seek an order for protection on her or his own behalf, but a successful amendment eliminated that language. The vote was 92-41. Under current law, a court order for protection can only be obtained by an adult on behalf of a minor child. Rep. Kris Hasskamp (DFL-Crosby) offered an amendment to delete the provision that would have allowed a minor to seek her or his own protection order. Hasskamp argued that it would "crack away at parental rights and parental involvement." Adolescents who are being sexually or otherwise abused can take their problems to a school counselor or some other adult, who could then obtain an order for protection for the minor. Remaining new language in this section of the bill would make it easier for individuals to extend or receive an order for protection. A person would not have to show that "physical harm is imminent" in order to receive an order for protection, as is the case under current law. DWI Plate impoundment expanded One-third of chronic DWI offenders continue to drive with little risk of detection because of a loophole in the state's DWI law. A bill to close that loophole received final passage in the House May 3. The vote was 121-8. Under current law, when a person's driver's license is suspended for a third DWI offense in five years (or a fourth within 15 years), his or her license plates also are impounded for as long as the offender's driver's license is suspended. For a third- time offender, that's a minimum of one year. But chronic DWI offenders are smart, bill sponsor Rep. Wes Skoglund (DFL-Mpls) has said. Once their plates are impounded, they often begin to drive their girlfriend's or spouse's car. Should they get caught under the influence in someone else's car, those license plates are then impounded. But all the car owner must do is sign a statement that he or she was unaware of the DWI violation and new plates are issued -- free of charge. HF416/SF308* still would give plates back to the car owner in such a situation, but they would be coded with specific letters, so that law enforcement officials would know the car had been involved in a prior DWI offense. The plates would remain on the car for a minimum of one year. The coded plates would provide law enforcement officers with a "reasonable suspicion" to pull the car over should the driver not be the registered owner of the car. From the patrol vehicle, an officer can check the car's registration and the license status of the car owner, which contains a description of the owner. If the driver doesn't match the description, the officer would have cause to stop the car. About 35 percent of repeat DWI offenders are driving a car in someone else's name, Steve Simon, a University of Minnesota law professor and recognized authority on DWI issues, has told members. Those repeat offenders are most often male, in their late 20s, often divorced, and marginally employed, Simon said. Minnesota's plate impoundment law, originally passed in 1990, was the first of its kind in the nation. About 3,700 Minnesota drivers are eligible to have their plates impounded each year, according to Department of Public Safety records. About one- third of those offenders skirt the law because they aren't the car's registered owner. Overall, DWI arrests are down about 27 percent since 1986 (28,310 incidents in 1994 compared to 38,717 in 1986). Offenders with three or more offenses, however, have risen steadily over the same time period. The bill now goes to the governor for his consideration. (See April 7, 1995, Session Weekly, page 5) Seizing cars from drunks A new law to clear up a glitch in the state's vehicle forfeiture law took effect April 29, 1995. Under current law, certain repeat DWI offenders lose not only their driver's licenses but their vehicles as well. The cars are then sold or kept by local law enforcement agencies for official use. Profits from the sale of most vehicles must be used for DWI enforcement, training, and education activities. But at times, the offenders don't show up for their day in court. As a result, their cars remain in impound lots. The new law allows for the cars to be sold should a defendant fail to appear in court on such a DWI-related charge. Drivers convicted of their fourth DWI-related offense within five years can have their vehicle seized by law enforcement officials, as can drivers convicted of their fifth DWI-related offense within 15 years. The measure was sponsored by Rep. Matt Entenza (DFL-St. Paul) and Sen. Richard Cohen (DFL- St. Paul). (HF377*/SF390/CH97) ENERGY Electrical competition A 1990 pilot program that allows electric utilities to offer discount rates to large rural businesses is now permanent, under a law that became effective March 2, 1995. Since 1974, rural companies using two megawatts or more of electricity have been allowed to buy electricity from any power producer they choose. They are not restricted to the electrical utility assigned to their locale. A wholesale trade business, for example, can bypass the local electric utility and contract with the owner of a hydroelectric dam in a nearby county for power. In order to keep their largest local customers -- and avoid rate hikes to all customers in their service areas -- electric utilities, since 1990, have been allowed to offer reduced rates to these large electric power users for one to five years under a competitive rate schedule approved by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Four electric utilities have used the 1990 law and offered competitive rates to some customers, according to a December 1994 report to the Legislature by the Department of Public Service (DPSv). The report recommended extending the competitive rate program past its July 1, 1995, expiration date. The new law does just that. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Joel Jacobs (DFL- Coon Rapids), who resigned from the House March 5 when he was appointed to the PUC by Gov. Arne Carlson. Sen. Doug Johnson (DFL-Cook) sponsored the bill in the Senate. (HF137*/SF213/CH6) Energy discounts Gas and electric utilities can continue to offer discounted rates to businesses in designated economic development zones, under a new state law. A pilot program created in 1990 added discounted gas and electric rates to the arsenal of tax and financing incentives designed to lure manufacturers and other businesses to certain areas of the state. The new law makes the program, which would have expired July 1, 1995, permanent. Gas and electric utilities can offer new or expanding businesses concessions on rates for a limited time. Previously, this time period was from two to five years. The new law will allow the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to determine the length of time a discounted rate can be offered to a particular customer. No maximum length of time is specified. Utilities can raise rates to other commercial customers in order to recover income lost under the discounted rate program, but they cannot raise rates for residential customers, under a new provision in the law. The PUC has to approve any rate increase proposed by a utility. The law also adds the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board, a rural development agency in northeastern Minnesota, to the list of local governments and agencies that can use discounted utility rates to supplement other development incentives. The measure, which became effective March 11, 1995, was sponsored by Rep. Richard Jefferson (DFL-Mpls) and Sen. Randy Kelly (DFL-St. Paul). (HF164*/SF65/CH9) ENVIRONMENT Reprieve for a burner A meat processing plant will be allowed to continue burning blood- and meat-contaminated packaging until the year 2005, under a new law, effective April 25, 1995. In 1992, Huisken's Meats in Chandler, Minn., installed a gas-fired waste incinerator to burn the waxed cardboard boxes and cellulose used for shipping frozen meat. The incinerator was approved by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), but the agency revised its air quality rules in June 1994 and banned such smaller incinerators, except those used by medical facilities, crematoria, and companies that recover precious metals from electronic circuit boards. The small incinerators allowed to continue operating must meet new MPCA performance standards, and some will require an operating permit from the agency. The new law is essentially a waiver from the 1994 MPCA small incinerator ban. It will allow the incinerator in Chandler to operate until the year 2005, which covers the useful life of the incinerator. Without the waiver, the plant would have had to pay to dispose of its cardboard and cellulose refuse in a landfill. The waste incinerator must be monitored by an automatic temperature control device, and must meet the emission standards in effect when it was installed. "This is an economic enabler for that small town processing plant," explained Rep. Ted Winter (DFL- Fulda), who sponsored the legislation. The company employs 400 workers producing sausage sticks and beef jerky "sold all over the world," according to Winter. Small, on-site incinerators used by various businesses, schools, and hospitals release large quantities of pollutants, according to the MPCA. The agency says that small incinerators generate 93 percent of the dioxin emissions from waste burned in Minnesota. (A dioxin is a toxin that studies have shown can cause cancers, birth defects, and fetal deaths in animals. Scientists disagree on whether it contributes to cancer in humans.) The measure was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Arlene Lesewski (IR-Marshall). (HF485/SF445*/CH87) GOVERNMENT Trimming state government Although at least one state agency and several state boards would be abolished, the Department of Public Safety would be spared, under a bill approved May 4 by the House Governmental Operations Committee. The bill (HF1542) would have eliminated the Department of Public Safety in addition to the Department of Public Service, Higher Education Coordinating Board, Minnesota Racing Commission, Gambling Control Board, and State Lottery Board. An amendment by Rep. Richard Jefferson (DFL- Mpls) spared the Department of Public Safety, which includes such divisions as the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Traffic Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services, Capitol Security and the State Patrol. Those duties would have been transferred to other state departments. Bill sponsor Rep. Howard Orenstein (DFL-St. Paul) conceded that he didn't have the support necessary to successfully abolish the Department of Public Safety, which was created in 1970. The bill, he said, "doesn't cut as much as I set out to cut, but you win some you lose some. . . .This is the bill that reduces government." Orenstein has said he has received a thick bundle of letters from public safety employees. The content of those letters indicates that "there continues to be management issues within the department." This marks the second consecutive session that a bill has moved forward to eliminate the department. The bill's remaining cuts include the nine- member Minnesota Racing Commission, the seven- member Gambling Control Board, and the seven- member State Lottery Board. The advisory duties of the gambling boards would be transferred to the directors they used to serve. Orenstein's bill also would eliminate the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) and some of its employees. The Higher Education Services Office (HESO) would be created to absorb its duties. Finally, it would abolish the Department of Public Service which is responsible for protecting the public interest in the areas of energy, telecommunications, and weights and measures. The bill would transfer the department's role as consumer watchdog in public utility rate cases before the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to the Office of the Attorney General. (The PUC is a quasi-judicial body that regulates the rates and services of Minnesota telephone, natural gas, and electric utilities.) The bill also lays the groundwork for the creation of an unnamed "public utilities agency." The new agency would serve as an umbrella organization housing the PUC and the remaining duties of the Department of Public Service. By Oct. 15, 1995, the commissioner of the Department of Public Service and the chair of the PUC shall jointly submit to the Legislature a plan for unified regulatory and administrative structure. The bill now moves to the House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee. It is unclear just how much the cuts will save. Earlier estimates provided by the Department of Revenue, which included the elimination of the Department of Public Safety, ranged from $5.2 million to $23.6 million in savings over the next biennium. (See April 7, 1995, Session Weekly, page 3, and April 28, 1995, Session Weekly, page 13) Seeking employee input Lawmakers looking to streamline state government may ask those who know it best for their advice. A bill that won final passage in the House May 4 would require a notice to be sent to all state employees requesting their ideas on how to make government run more smoothly. The bill passed on a 125-4 vote. Bill sponsor Rep. Linda Wejcman (DFL-Mpls) said it is only logical to consult state employees when looking for ways to make government more efficient. "I think it'll make a big difference," she said. HF1524/SF1402* would require notice be sent to all state employees before July 1 inviting them to send in their ideas to improve effectiveness. The employees, who would be allowed to remain anonymous, would be asked for suggestions on what changes could help individuals or entire agencies perform better. Incapacitated chief officer A new law will clarify who would run the state if the governor is unable to carry out the duties of the office. Current law stipulates the lieutenant governor would take over if the governor dies. But it says nothing about what would happen should the governor become too ill to run the state. The change will clarify present law to say the governor who anticipates incapacity -- such as a terminal or debilitating illness -- would write to the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House declaring the inability to discharge the duties of office. The lieutenant governor would then take over those duties. In unanticipated cases, such as when the governor suddenly becomes too sick to perform the job, the lieutenant governor would take over when four of five officials declare in writing the governor cannot discharge the duties of office. Those officials are the chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, the lieutenant governor, the governor's chief of staff, the governor's personal physician, and a member of the governor's cabinet designated in advance by the governor. The proposal, effective Aug. 1, 1995, was sponsored by Rep. Steve Sviggum (IR-Kenyon) and Sen. William Belanger (IR-Bloomington). (HF1468*/SF1268/CH98) HEALTH Breast cancer treatment A bill to require insurance companies to pay for bone marrow transplants for Minnesota residents with breast cancer won final passage in the House May 3. The vote was 120-8. Some breast cancer patients whose doctors tell them their best chance of survival is a high-dose chemotherapy treatment accompanied by a bone marrow transplant have had to battle insurance companies that refuse to pay for the procedure. Most often the battle lands in the courts. The bill (HF1742) sponsored by Rep. Dee Long (DFL-Mpls) wouldn't give insurance companies the option. They'd have to pay. (See April 7, 1995, Session Weekly, page 10 and April 21, 1995, Session Weekly, page 15) Long said that in Minnesota, too many insurance companies are making medical decisions when they refuse to pay for the treatment. The decision, she said, should be in the hands of the woman and her physician. "Time and time again when women go to court, they win," said Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL-North St. Paul) who supports the bill. But not all lawmakers agreed. "I think it is dangerous and premature . . . for us to mandate its coverage," said Rep. Fran Bradley (IR-Rochester). He noted that the medical community disagrees with the effectiveness of the marrow transplant treatment. Rep. Tom Van Engen (IR-Spicer) said the high- dose chemotherapy treatment increases the chance of death for many patients and there is no solid proof it increases the chance at life. Lawmakers have heard debate from several doctors, many of whom agree the treatment should be covered by insurance. But, some say only patients in a clinical study should be covered. Patients, however, don't want to take the chance they'll be part of the group that doesn't receive the treatment. In a clinical study there is a 50 percent chance you'll be a part of the study that receives the treatment but an equal chance you'll be a part of a "control" group that doesn't receive the treatment. Dr. Linda Burns, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota, has called the treatment "investigational" and said she is working with breast cancer patients as part of a national clinical study. "I ask you not to mislead the women of this state," Burns has said. "It is not known" whether the transplant treatment actually is effective. Dr. John Schwerkoske, who has treated roughly 49 cancer patients (half of whom have breast cancer) with the transplant treatment, disagrees. Twenty-five percent are now in remission, he said, cautioning that it will be years before it is known if they are cured. "I think it is a better treatment," he has said. "We have to leave the decision in patient's hands." Supporters argue that regardless of the conflicting scientific opinions, the issue is a matter of choice for patients. If a doctor and a patient believe this is the best treatment, an insurance company shouldn't have the right to say no. Besides, proponents say, many doctors and studies show that it is an effective treatment, albeit a costly one. Mike Hatch, former head of the Department of Commerce, and now an attorney who has represented women whose insurance companies refused to pay for the procedure, has said costs can run about $65,000 compared to traditional chemotherapy, administered in low doses over several months, which costs about $45,000. He said he has represented many women in recent years and cited court decisions that have required insurance companies to pay for the procedure. Courts have found the procedure can be effective and is not experimental. The bill now goes to the Senate, which has already passed a similar measure. HIGHER EDUCATION Four selected as 'U' regents In a joint session of the Minnesota House and Minnesota Senate May 3, state lawmakers chose the newest members of the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents. Warren Larson of Bagley, Minn., and Patricia Spence of Rice, Minn., were elected as at-large regents. Jessica Phillips of Virginia, Minn., was elected to serve as the at-large student board member and Jean Keffeler of Minneapolis, was re-elected to represent the state's 5th Congressional District. The university's governing board consists of 12 regents, one from each of the state's eight congressional districts and four at-large members, including one student. Regents are elected by the Legislature and serve six-year terms. They are not paid for their service. A majority of the 201 members of the House and Senate must approve any nomination to the board. The four individuals elected were among nine people nominated from a field of 92 applicants who were interviewed by the Regent Candidate Advisory Council (a citizen panel established by the Legislature). Keffeler, Phillips, Spence, and Richard "Pinky" McNamara were subsequently endorsed by a joint panel of the House and Senate Education Committees. Larson, who edged out McNamara by two votes, attended Bemidji State University. He is a beef cattle farmer and a Clearwater County commissioner. Larson is also president of the Association of Minnesota Counties. Spence received a bachelor's degree in home economics education from the University of Minnesota. She was the mayor of Little Falls and has served on the Minnesota Higher Education Coordinating Board. She is currently a homemaker. Phillips is a student at the University of Minnesota-Morris majoring in speech communication and political science. She is current chair of student representatives to the Board of Regents, and a member of the university's Strategic Planning Advisory Board. Keffeler received a bachelor's degree in French and master's degrees in public administration and social work, all from the University of Minnesota. She was first elected as a representative to the Board of Regents in 1989. She currently works as a management consultant, and previously held executive positions at U.S. West, Control Data, and Health One. The Board of Regents oversees the entire University of Minnesota system, including the Twin Cities, Duluth, Morris, and Crookston campuses. It approves all budgets, adopts policies and plans, and promotes the educational mission of the university. Regent selection process Here's the process by which members are selected to serve on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents: -- Candidates are first nominated to fill positions on the 12-member board, normally four in every odd- numbered year. Anyone can nominate a candidate, and people may nominate themselves. -- Candidates then agree to a review by a 24- member Regent Selection Advisory Council that was established in 1988. The council recommends two to four candidates for each seat on the board. -- Since eight board seats represent each of the state's congressional districts, a caucus of state legislators from each district endorses a candidate. The votes of each legislator are weighted depending on the number of their constituents living within that congressional district. -- A joint meeting of the House and Senate education committees then reviews the candidates, the advisory council recommendations, and the caucus endorsements. The joint committee then recommends candidates to the House and Senate as a single slate. -- House and Senate members then decide for whom they wish to vote, either for the entire recommended slate or for individual members. HOUSING Affordable housing A bill to help clean up polluted land in the Twin Cities metropolitan area to make room for new development, create more affordable housing, and offer tax breaks for people who move into blighted neighborhoods, is one step closer to the House floor. The House Taxes Committee May 2 approved HF1156 on a voice vote. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Dee Long (DFL-Mpls), now awaits consideration by the House Ways and Means Committee. (See March 31, 1995, Session Weekly, page 12) It contains several programs for the seven- county metropolitan area paid for from several different funding sources. A nine-member advisory board to the Metropolitan Council would be created to establish criteria for distributing money among cities. The bill includes three major programs. First, it would require a portion of the property taxes on high-value homes in metropolitan communities to be used to build more affordable housing and housing for targeted groups -- such as young families, singles, and the elderly. Under the bill, each seven-county metro area city would be required to negotiate affordable housing goals with the Metropolitan Council. A city would keep the tax money generated from certain high-value homes if the city works toward its negotiated housing goals. But a city could lose some of its property tax dollars to a regional pool if it refused to work toward the housing goals. Besides those dollars, the program is paid for with a one-time $1 million appropriation from solid waste bond proceeds. And, beginning in 1998, $1 million per year of the Metropolitan Council's general property tax levy. Second, "livable communities" demonstration projects would be funded. The Metropolitan Council would provide city grants and loans for projects that relate development with transit needs in a community; relate affordable housing and employment growth; intensify land use, leading to more compact development; include development of mixed-income housing; or encourage the development of infrastructure to connect urban and suburban communities to attract new redevelopment. To pay for the grants and loans, the bill authorizes the Metropolitan Council to levy a tax equal to half of the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District's and provides an annual Homestead and Agricultural Credit Aid (HACA) payment equal to 50 percent of what the mosquito control district receives. In all, that should amount to about $6 million a year for the grants and loans. To balance the books, the bill lowers the mosquito control district's taxing authority by 50 percent and cuts their HACA payment by 50 percent. And finally, polluted lands in the metropolitan area would be cleaned up with financing from two existing funds. This would help revitalize the tax base in urban areas by providing more land for commercial and other development. Some dollars would come from funds the Metropolitan Council sets aside to help local governments purchase rights-of-way necessary when building roads. More dollars would come from a pool of money (the fiscal disparities fund) made up of a portion of each metropolitan city's commercial-industrial tax base. Specifically, the bill would tap into a portion of the pool that dates back to the construction of the Mall of America. When the Mall of America was built the city of Bloomington sold bonds to pay for a series of highway improvements around the mall. For now, the fiscal disparities fund foots the bill for interest on the bonds. The pool is to stop paying off the interest in 1999. The city of Bloomington must then repay the pool for the interest on those bonds, beginning in the year 2000. Under Long's bill, Bloomington is still responsible for paying its debt. Money from the fiscal disparities pool, however, would continue to be tapped, this time set aside in a new account to finance the cleanup of polluted land. It is estimated that until 1999, while the pool pays off the remaining interest on the highway bonds, it would chip in about $2 million a year to the new account. After 1999, it would pay about $5 million a year. A successful amendment offered in the Taxes Committee by Rep. Andy Dawkins (DFL-St. Paul) would alter Bloomington's $50 million in interest repayments. The amendment would extend the period of time for Bloomington to repay the interest from 10 years to 15, and start the repayments six years later. When looking at the repayments in terms of present discounted value the repayments would decline from $23 million to $14 million. The bill also includes provisions originally found in a housing and economic development bill (HF1627) sponsored by Rep. H. Todd Van Dellen (IR-Plymouth). One provision would exempt from the sales tax (or offer a refund of the sales tax) materials and supplies used to build or fix up affordable housing in a "developing metro area" as defined by the Metropolitan Council as long as at least some of the units being fixed are financed with public assistance. Another would create an urban homestead exemption program that would provide tax breaks to people who move into homes in blighted metro neighborhoods. The Metropolitan Council would designate one or more urban revitalization and stabilization zones by Sept. 1, 1995. Anyone buying and occupying a home within such an area would receive an income tax break for up to five years, provided they do not move out of the home, sell the house, fail to comply with building codes, or get convicted of a gross misdemeanor or a felony. An unsuccessful amendment offered by Rep. Ted Winter (DFL-Fulda) would have eliminated the criminal history check on applicants to weed out those with a felony or gross misdemeanor conviction. The maximum exemptions would equal $15,000 for a married couple filing jointly, $10,000 for singles, and $12,500 for unmarried people qualifying as heads of households. HUMAN SERVICES Health, human services funding A $5 billion bill that sets limits on in-home personal care services for the disabled but retains money to help parents with disabled children afford long-term medical care was approved by the House May 1. The vote was 106-27. The House's Omnibus Health and Human Services bill (HF1588/SF1110*) for 1996-1997 would spend about $60 million less than Gov. Arne Carlson recommended and about $650 million more than in the 1994-1995 two-year budgeting period. (See April 28, 1995, Session Weekly, page 15) The bill, which is on its way to a conference committee because the Senate and House versions differ, would appropriate money for programs in the Department of Human Services, the Department of Health, and several other smaller agencies. It would set aside more than $3 billion for the state's medical plans such as Medical Assistance, $269.5 million for Aid to Families with Dependent Children grants, $94.5 million for General Assistance grants, and $112 million in other public assistance and work and training grants. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Lee Greenfield (DFL- Mpls), became wrapped in heated debate earlier this session when Carlson proposed cutting back two programs that help disabled people remain at home instead of in an institution. Specifically, the governor proposed to cut a program that provides in-home personal care attendants for the disabled and another that allows the families of children with disabilities to buy into a state medical care plan. The program is known as TEFRA. But after hours of public hearings and hundreds of people who testified -- many of whom came in wheelchairs, with guide dogs, or on ventilators -- lawmakers backed down from most of the cuts. The omnibus bill, however, would tighten some eligibility requirements and limit some services for personal care attendants and the TEFRA program. An amendment by Rep. Eileen Tompkins (IR-Apple Valley) to increase funding for TEFRA was defeated. The bill would reduce by 12.5 percent the maximum number of personal care service hours a recipient may receive. It also would eliminate personal care services for ventilator-dependent people in hospitals and prohibits legal guardians from being personal care service providers. The bill further would expand the list of personal care services not eligible for Medical Assistance reimbursement. Only care prescribed by a doctor could be reimbursed. Currently, only a registered nurse, in conjunction with the personal care assistant, would need to authorize care. It clarifies that personal care involving social activities, recreational activities, and educational services also are prohibited from reimbursement. The bill also would tighten eligibility requirements for people seeking personal care services. To qualify for those services under the bill, individuals must be able to "identify their needs, direct and evaluate task accomplishment, and assure their health and safety." Children receiving care under the state's Medical Assistance program (including those in the TEFRA program) would have to contribute more for the care. Under the bill, parents with an adjusted gross income of $30,000 or more would have to pay a minimum $25 fee or an amount depending on their income. The bill changes the formula so more of a family's income is chargeable to the fee. Currently, only the income above 200 percent of the federal poverty level is used to calculate the fee. The bill would lower that to 150 percent. For a family of four, that would mean that instead of income more than about $29,600 being used to calculate the fee, income more than about $22,200 would apply. INSURANCE Rental car coverage Vehicle owners could rent cars, trucks, and vans by the month and still expect their private automobile insurance to extend coverage to those rental vehicles, under a bill the House approved May 1. The vote was 133-0. Current law calls for private automobile insurance to cover vehicles rented on a weekly or daily basis. But bill sponsor Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL-North St. Paul) said those who rent cars are able to obtain better rates when renting by the month. The bill (HF1308/SF973*) calls for vehicles rented on a monthly basis to be accompanied by a statement which informs the renter that, under state law, personal automobile insurance policies issued in Minnesota must cover rental vehicles. Currently, such statements must accompany vehicles rented by the day or week. The bill includes language that would prevent long-term renters from leasing cars and having their auto insurance provide coverage for those cars, McCollum said. The bill now moves to the governor for his consideration. LABOR Workers' compensation A workers' compensation reform bill which aims to simplify the system and cut costs for businesses is on its way to the House floor. HF642, sponsored by Rep. Ted Winter (DFL- Fulda), passed the House Ways and Means Committee May 4. Under the bill, the state would assume a regulatory role to control workers' compensation costs. Any increase in workers' compensation insurance rates would require prior state approval. The state had similar authority until a 1983 law created the current system of open competition. Critics of the current workers' compensation system claim high costs hurt Minnesota's ability to compete with neighboring states for new businesses and strain existing businesses in the state. The bill seeks to reduce costs to small businesses by making it easier for them to form self-insurance groups, which Winter claims could save some businesses as much as 35 percent. And the bill would mandate a 10 percent credit on premiums for small businesses that go for three years without having to pay out any benefits to an injured employee. The bill emerged from a group of seven reform bills heard earlier this session by a House panel. Winter's bill does not include the cuts in benefits to injured workers called for in several other reform proposals. HF642 includes provisions designed to make the workers' compensation system simpler and to eliminate common starting points of dispute. The bill would change the form and duration for which certain benefits are paid to injured workers. A worker, for example, could receive temporary total benefits -- paid during the period of healing from a work-related injury ---for no more than 100 weeks. Currently, the benefits are paid until the worker reaches the point of "maximum medical improvement," after which no significant improvement can be expected. The problem with the current system, critics say, is the standard for recovery is unclear and is often a cause for disputes between employees and management that can lead to litigation. Winter's bill would not change the amount paid in temporary total benefits, which currently is 66 percent of wages up to a maximum of $516 a week. TAXES Property taxes and education A proposal to put a proposed constitutional amendment on the 1996 ballot that would end the use of property taxes to finance education has won the support of the House. HF1844, sponsored by Rep. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope), won final passage in the House May 2 on an 81-50 vote. The bill proposes an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution that would require major changes in the way the state pays the cost to run public elementary and secondary schools. If voters approve, the amendment would eliminate property tax levies that now cover, on average, 39 percent of the cost of operating schools. The local levies now provide about $1.7 billion annually for schools. The proposed amendment would shift all school operating costs exclusively to the state. The 1997 Legislature would have to decide how to replace the property tax funds. Local levies for new buildings, renovations, and equipment costs would not be affected by the amendment. Rest and other supporters of the amendment argue that local levies to fund education are unfair because the property taxes are not directly linked to income or ability to pay. The Legislature could revamp the school funding system on its own, but the amendment would provide a mandate for action from Minnesotans, Rest said. The proposed wording of the ballot question drew criticism from some lawmakers. The bill calls for this question to appear on ballots: "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to require that operating funds for public schools come from sources other than local property taxes?" Rep. Charlie Weaver (IR-Anoka), who expressed support for the idea of moving more education costs to the state, argued the ballot question could be misleading. But Weaver's attempt to alter to ballot question to inform voters the amendment could result in increases in income or sales taxes failed on a 62-69 vote. The future of Rest's bill remains unclear. No similar legislation is pending in the Senate. The Senate has approved a property tax freeze for 1996, but House members opposed that plan on a 13-118 vote. From rich to poor A bill that would shift a portion of the tax dollars from some wealthy suburbs to less fortunate inner-ring suburbs and the core cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul won final passage in the House May 4. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Myron Orfield (DFL- Mpls), was approved on a 71-63 vote. Orfield aims to achieve greater equity in basic public services provided in metropolitan area communities, ease competition for tax base, and make land-use planning more possible. Initially, the bill would have affected the local property tax revenues generated on the value of homes greater than $200,000. Orfield amended the bill on the House floor to instead create a pool of funds for metro redistribution drawn from the growth in property tax revenue generated on the value of homes greater than $200,000. He estimates about $20 million would be redistributed under the bill, which he describes as an extension of the 1971 fiscal disparities law. That law pools about $270 million annually in commercial industrial property taxes to be shared by communities in the seven-county metro area. If the bill becomes law, cities receiving funds from the redistribution program in its first year must use half the money for tax relief rather than on increased spending. Many northern metro suburbs would be the biggest beneficiaries of the bill. The bill promises to reduce property taxes in 85 percent of the metro area, but taxes would likely increase in the remaining 15 percent of the region. "Real reform is sometimes tough," Orfield said. "There are sometimes winners and losers." This is the third consecutive year Orfield has pushed legislation to give wealthier suburbs a greater role in sharing the social burden faced by central cities and aging suburbs. His bills in each of the previous two years focused on housing in the metro area. Both were vetoed by Gov. Arne Carlson. Rep. Mike Osskopp (IR-Lake City) said this year's bill best represents the "philosophical dividing line" between his party and the DFL. The bill would lead to tax increases for those already paying some of the highest taxes in the metro area and would hurt poorer people living in cities that lose revenue, said Rep. H. Todd Van Dellen (IR-Plymouth). "No other single piece of legislation is more inconsistent with the message the voters sent us in the last election," he added. TRANSPORTATION I-394 expanded? Interstate 394 commuters could get relief from some traffic headaches, under a bill approved by a House panel. HF611 would permit a stretch of I-394 near the Penn Avenue interchange in Minneapolis to be widened to allow one additional lane of traffic in each direction. Currently, the highway narrows near Penn from three to two lanes in each direction plus a high- occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane -- or "sane lane " -- for carpools and buses. "It is a tremendous bottleneck, and it is dangerous," said bill sponsor Rep. Peggy Leppik (IR- Golden Valley). The House Economic Development, Infrastructure and Regulation Finance Committee approved the bill May 2. A provision in current law limits to six the total number of lanes in the Penn interchange area. Leppik's bill would allow an exception to that provision if the Metropolitan Council approves and if certain conditions are met. Before construction of new lanes could take place, those conditions would require: -- the speed limit to be reduced to 45 miles per hour on the stretch of I-394 from the I-94 interchange downtown Minneapolis to the western city limits; -- the Department of Transportation to adopt as a goal the construction of a noise barrier along westbound I-394 from Penn to Theodore Wirth Parkway; -- the department and the Metropolitan Council to design and implement a program to increase the use of HOV lanes and to bring the average occupancy rate on I-394 to 1.6 people per vehicle by the year 2000. A 1990 study showed an average occupancy rate of 1.2 people per vehicle on Twin Cities highways; and -- a cooperative effort among the state and the cities of Minneapolis and Golden Valley to develop a policy for enforcement of speed and HOV lane restrictions on I-394. The bill does not include an appropriation for construction of the new lanes, and it does not set a date for construction. HF611 now goes to the House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee. NOTES Do certain bills make good policy or just good sound bites? Suspecting that the latter is sometimes true, Rep. Myron Orfield (DFL-Mpls) authored a tongue-in- cheek proposal to deal with a "sound bite bill or amendment." Sound bite legislation is "designed without substantive purpose [and] appeals to a theme that has been politically tested to elicit an emotional response." The Orfield amendment, which appeared on the House floor during discussion of the judiciary finance bill May 2, goes on to explain that a sound bite bill "is likely to be discussed on talk radio, and requires a long debate with much posturing." (The amendment was never formally offered for consideration and was not voted on.) There would be a "presumption" that a measure falls into the sound bite category if it "1) refers in any manner to student lockers, (as HF1700 does) 2) responds to a TV news story that is repeated on three successive evenings, (the bill also tries to limit frivolous lawsuits by prison inmates, the subject of a multi-evening TV news investigation) 3) involves a simple punitive slogan, or 4) requires the repeated discussion of sexual acts." A committee, appointed by the speaker, would consider sound bite bills. The Sound Bite Bill Committee -- composed of House members judged "most likely to offer sound bite bills or amendments" -- would convene in Room 181 of the State Office Building (the room often used for Capitol press conferences). Finally, bills would only emerge from the committee after they are "amended to become substantive." At the close of the Tuesday afternoon House floor session, Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Mpls) reminded female lawmakers about the "dress code" that would be in effect the following day. What dress code? When members of the House and Senate assembled in the House chamber at noon on May 3 to select regents for the University of Minnesota, almost all the female legislators were wearing pink. Kahn said the color coordination was designed so the female members of the Legislature "would be visible, and also to point out that they are definitely a brighter element in the legislative scene." The word "brighter" can be interpreted "anyway you want," Kahn added. There are 32 women in the House, and 19 in the Senate -- or about 25 percent of the 1995 Legislature. Project 120 . . . Immersing students in the state's political process Each week for 11 weeks during the legislative session, a different group of three dozen high school students from around the state descends on the State Capitol to learn the ins and outs of the political process. The program they are participating in is called Project 120. (The name refers to the number of days the Minnesota Constitution says the Legislature can meet in session each biennium.) In no other state can high school students spend one week at the Capitol sitting in on committee hearings and meeting with the attorney general, the secretary of state, and other political officers as well as their personal representatives and senators, said Karyn Diehl, Project 120's director. A new group of 36 students from varied high schools -- no more than five students from each high school per group -- meet each week as part of the program. Project 120 began in 1976 in conjunction with the nation's bicentennial celebration and has kept growing, Diehl said. Funding for the non-profit organization comes from a legislative appropriation, various foundations and corporations, and the students, who pay $225 if their families can afford it. No student is turned away because of inability to pay, Diehl said. The student fee pays for a stay at the St. Paul Radisson and all meals. Students learn about the program through their high schools, advertising, or their involvement in the Youth in Government program, sponsored by the YMCA. They spend Monday through Thursday getting to know each other and taking part in activities, such as observing the House and Senate in session and holding a mock trial at Hamline Law School. Many students are drawn to the program because they want to learn up close how state government works. That's the main reason Victoria Cameron, 15, from Lakeville, Minn., took part in Project 120. Her group was the last to spend time at the Capitol. They came Sunday, April 30 and attended an orientation session. Monday through Thursday they toured the Capitol. "Probably the best part was meeting the actual people," Cameron said. "I liked meeting the attorney general because I'm planning to run for that [office] in Youth in Government." Cameron and her friend, Leslie Pomplun, who also attended the final Project 120 program of the 1995 session, took part in Youth in Government earlier this year. Under that program, students give speeches, craft legislation, and hold debates on the floor of the House. Project 120 also helps students from varied Minnesota backgrounds meet and discuss their lifestyles, Pomplun said. About 2,000 students attend her high school, but during the week she met students whose high school classes are much smaller. "You're meeting more people and it just makes their experiences more real. Being here makes government more real, too," she said. For her part, Cameron said she plans to pursue a career in politics, thanks, in part, to her Project 120 involvement. Many state government employees and politicians have a Project 120 past, Diehl said. Rep. Jeff Bertram (DFL-Paynesville) for example, attended the program as a student. "When I phone many offices at the Capitol to set up appointments with the students, the person at the other end of the phone will say, 'Oh yes, I was a Project 120 student,'" Diehl said. Students are tested on their knowledge of state government both before and after they complete the program. Their test scores usually improve dramatically, Diehl said. "We tell students we teach them the political process and the importance of being involved in government. We also teach them to respect diversity in each other," Diehl said. -- Jean Thilmany In the Hopper . . . April 28 - May 4, 1995 BILL INTRODUCTIONS Monday, May 1 HF1884--Rostberg (IR) Education Independent School District No. 911, Cambridge, provided grant for year-round school pilot program, and money appropriated. HF1885--Wenzel (DFL) Health and Human Services Woman's right to know act adopted. HF1886--Wenzel (DFL) Health and Human Services Abortion informed consent required. HF1887--Wenzel (DFL) Health and Human Services Abortion informed consent required and civil cause of action provided. Tuesday, May 2 HF1888--Hasskamp (DFL) Judiciary Firearms; right to keep and bear arms not abridged and constitutional amendment proposed. HF1889--Jefferson (DFL) Governmental Operations Juneteenth; June 19th designated a state holiday. Wednesday, May 3 HF1890--Ozment (IR) Environment and Natural Resources Great horned owl trapping by poultry farmers authorized. Thursday, May 4 HF1891--Bakk (DFL) Environment and Natural Resources Gray wolf management plan developed by natural resources department. HF1892--Johnson, V. (IR) Environment and Natural Resources Hunting, trapping and angling lawful activity impedance or obstruction prohibited, and penalties provided. HF1893--Peterson (DFL) Commerce, Tourism and Consumer Affairs Premium gasoline sold or offered for use in recreational vehicles exempted from minimum oxygen content level requirement. HF1894--Peterson (DFL) Commerce, Tourism and Consumer Affairs Premium gasoline exempted from minimum oxygen content level requirement. HF1895--Peterson (DFL) Commerce, Tourism and Consumer Affairs Premium gasoline sold or offered for use in motorized watercraft exempted from minimum oxygen content level requirement. MinnesotaCare and health insurance Percent that health care spending in Twin Cities increased between 1991 and 1993 20 Average for metropolitan areas nationwide 24 National rank of Minnesota in Northwest National Life's state health rankings, 1994 2 Times in the last five years Minnesota has ranked first 3 Times West Virginia has ranked 50 3 Approximate number of Minnesotans enrolled in MinnesotaCare, March 1995 80,000 Average number of enrollees, per month, according to Department of Human Services estimates, in fiscal year 1995 84,296 Current gross revenues tax on hospitals, other health care providers, and wholesale drug distributors, (which is dedicated to the MinnesotaCare program), in percent 2 Dollars expected to be collected by the tax, in millions, fiscal year 1995 $140 Estimated payments for medical services provided through MinnesotaCare, in millions, fiscal year 1995 $78.6 Number of Aid to Families with Dependent Children cases closed because of the availability of MinnesotaCare 2,400 Savings to the state, per year, in millions $8.4 Number of small employers buying into the new state health insurance purchasing pool created by the Legislature 225 Percent of those businesses that did not previously offer health insurance 75 Estimated number of Minnesotans uninsured on a given day 400,000 As a percentage of all Minnesotans 8.9 Increase in the number of uninsured Minnesotans since 1990 0 Additional Minnesotans that would be uninsured had the state mirrored the national trend during the same time period 69,000 Percent of uninsured Minnesotans who were male, 1992 63 Percent of insured Minnesotans who were male, 1992 47 Deficit projected by the Department of Finance for MinnesotaCare funding, in millions, fiscal year 1997 $37.5 Sources: The Basics of MinnesotaCare, December 1994, House Research Department; Preliminary Estimates of the Number of Uninsured Minnesotans, Staff Report to the Minnesota Health Care Commission, October 1994; MinnesotaCare Update, March 1995, Minnesota Health Care Commission; An Analysis of the Relative Healthiness of the Population of all Fifty States, 1994, Northwest National Life.