Greetings from the Floor,
The health insurance premium relief and reform bill passed the House and Senate in its final version this week. The bill will get relief out to people this year who buy health insurance on the individual market, but don’t get tax credits through the Affordable Care Act. The bill also allows people receiving treatment for certain chronic conditions who had to change insurance carriers in 2017 to continue seeing their doctor. The House/Senate Conference Committee removed a House provision to allow insurance carriers to not cover care for certain treatments and procedures. I’m glad we advanced this bill to the governor’s desk for his signature to get relief out to people across the state.
I had a hearing on Monday on my bill, HF 321, to provide an exemption on DMV fees and taxes for 100% service-related disabled veterans. The bill was approved by the Veteran’s Affairs Division and advanced to the Transportation Finance Committee. I look forward to continuing this work for veterans who have given so much for our country.
The governor released his budget proposal for the next two years on Tuesday. Some highlights of the budget proposal are:
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$34 million for a 40% agricultural property tax credit
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$16.7 million to help farmers and local governments implement buffer strips
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2% K-12 funding increase in both FY 2018 and 2019
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$75 million to expand voluntary pre-Kindergarten programming
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Continued funding for early learning scholarships
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$5 million for teacher training programs
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$62 million to help low property value school districts with bond payments
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$125 million for the Minnesota State system, $97 million for the University of Minnesota system and $62 million for the State Grant Program
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$60 million to expand broadband access across Minnesota
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$20 million for the Job Creation Fund
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$10 million in tax credits for start-up businesses
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$600,000 for job training in high demand fields such as manufacturing, agriculture, information technology and health care
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$85 million for increased child care provider payments and reform
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$60 million for child care tax credits
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$12 million to allow all Minnesotans to purchase MNCare health coverage through MNSure
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$10 million for law enforcement training
Governor Dayton delivered his State of the State speech on Monday night. The governor spoke about education, health care and transportation as ways to build up Minnesota’s already robust economy. I agree with the governor that we need to craft a state budget for the next two years that keeps Minnesota’s economy healthy. After quite a scare halfway through the governor’s speech, he regained his strength and walked out on his own power. I wish the governor all the best and know he’ll stay strong through the duration of his term.
Thank You for the Opportunity to Serve,
Ben