Dear Neighbors,
We’ve wrapped up the second month of the legislative session and we continue to be busy with frequent committee meetings. Recently, I’ve had public hearings on legislation I’m sponsoring including HF 554, which was heard in the House Judiciary Committee. It enables parents – if their parental rights were terminated for non-egregious harm (substance abuse or mental illness, for example) and after proving they’ve turned their lives around – to directly petition for the reestablishment of legal parent/child relationship. Legislation like this bill and HF 342, the African American Family Preservation Act, are both aimed at keeping families together, a goal we should all share as Minnesotans.
Presenting HF 554 to the House Judiciary Committee
Women’s History Month
All Minnesotans should have the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their gender. I’m excited that our Minnesota House DFL Majority Caucus is nearly gender-balanced. As we recognize March 2019 as Women’s History Month, we’re proud to celebrate our trailblazing female leaders as we keep building a Minnesota that works better for all of us.
Last week, the Minnesota House took a bold step forward for women by approving HF 13, a bill to explicitly guarantee gender equality in the Minnesota Constitution. The Equal Rights Amendment ballot question would be put to voters during the 2020 election. It is now up to the Minnesota Senate, with a Republican majority, to decide whether or not to let Minnesotans vote to give everyone full equality under our Constitution.
The next day, International Women’s Day, we held a rally in the Capitol rotunda to celebrate.
Gun Violence Prevention
My DFL colleagues and I are committed to addressing the gun violence epidemic in our state. We’ve seen too many tragedies at schools, at workplaces, in movie theaters, at concerts, in places of worship, and at other public spaces where everyone should expect to be safe. Two House Committees have approved a pair of gun violence prevention measures.
House File 8, authored by Rep. Dave Pinto of St. Paul, expands criminal background checks to all gun sales and transfers -- helping to close loopholes exploited by dangerous individuals such as domestic abusers. House File 9, also known as the “red flag law,” is authored by Rep. Ruth Richardson of Mendota Heights. It gives law enforcement officials the ability to remove firearms from an individual’s possession for a temporary period of time if a judge determines they are dangerous. You can learn more about these bills on the Minnesota Values Podcast, featuring a conversation with both bill authors.
Responsible on Cannabis
The conversation around the potential of legalizing cannabis for personal use has advanced rapidly. The tide is turning with many policymakers recognizing the legitimate health benefits from cannabis and its derivatives. Further, we’ve seen other harmful effects of the current criminal prohibition and so-called “war on drugs,” including staggering racial disparities for enforcement, with Minnesota having some of the worst. While African Americans and whites use marijuana at similar rates, an ACLU report shows black Minnesotans are over seven times more likely to be arrested for crimes like marijuana possession than those who are white.
Minnesotans are right to demand a conversation about this, but we still have many unanswered questions. That’s why I joined my colleagues to roll out a “Responsible on Cannabis” approach, which includes the formation of a task force. With all viewpoints at the table, we can better determine the most viable approach toward possible legalization. The Health and Human Services Policy Committee, which I chair, and the Public Safety Committee have held hearings on a number of bills making changes to our current state cannabis policy, such as improving our medical cannabis program and modifying some penalties.
Insulin Prices
People with diabetes depend on insulin and other supplies to maintain their very wellbeing, and the price many of them have to pay is obscene. Nicole Smith-Holt and James Holt, Jr. of Richfield, are the parents of Alec Smith. Alec died at age 26 because he could not afford to pay $1,300 for his monthly insulin bill and felt like he had no alternative but to ration his supply. Following 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 House Commerce Committee has considered a series of proposals to address the price and availability of insulin. These include HF 485, which creates a mechanism for Minnesotans who are unable to afford their needed insulin to get a temporary refill of their prescription. It also authorizes pharmacies to fill a temporary supply of insulin for patients whose prescription is out-of-date. Others include HF 289 to improve drug price transparency; HF 288 to bar insurance companies from removing coverage of insulin, equipment, or supplies during someone’s contract year; and HF 284 to direct the state Department of Health to determine if pharmaceutical companies forcing excessive cost increases on users of insulin, and if so, require reimbursements for Minnesotans. Profits for Big Pharma shouldn’t get in the way of a quality way of life for all Minnesotans, and I’m committed to supporting these measures.
Please continue to contact me with your input and ideas. It’s an honor to be your voice at the Capitol.
Sincerely,
Rena Moran
State Representative
Rep. Rena Moran
Chair, House Health and Human Services Policy Committee
575 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155
www.house.mn/65A
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Phone: 651-296-5158
E-mail: rep.rena.moran@house.mn
Legislative Assistant: Alyssa Fritz, 651-296-2491