Dear Neighbors,
I hope you are enjoying fall and you and your family are safe and healthy. Here’s an update from the State Capitol.
Capital Investment Committee
The Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee is touring the entire state to visit sites of proposed public infrastructure improvements of colleges and universities, public safety facilities, roads and bridges, water treatment plants, community centers, and other assets. The committee recently spent a few days in northeastern Minnesota, which included stops at several locations in Duluth including Lake Superior Zoo, Spirit Mountain, the Historic Lift Bridge, and UMD’s Science Building.
Minnesotans deserve safe, quality public infrastructure, and I’m grateful the committee visited Duluth to see some of our community’s opportunities for investment first-hand. With low interest rates and an excellent state credit rating, I’m hopeful lawmakers will come together to pass a significant capital investment package during the 2022 legislative session.
Health Insurance Enrollment
For those Minnesotans who purchase health insurance through the individual market, open enrollment for 2022 begins November 1 and runs through January 15. Due to funding available from the American Rescue Plan, which President Biden and Democrats in Congress passed this year, more Minnesotans will be eligible for tax credits to lower their premiums through MNsure, Minnesota’s health insurance marketplace. All eligible Minnesotans can find plans through MNsure with premiums that cost no more than 8.5% of their household income and on average, families will save $684 per year. MNsure has put together a helpful scenario guide outlining potential premiums based on location, family size, and plan.
You can begin shopping and comparing plans now in advance of open enrollment. As a reminder, the only way to take advantage of valuable premium tax credit savings is to enroll through MNsure. Skilled navigators are available to help you find a plan that works for you and your family.
Kids Deserve a Shot Vaccine Incentive
Currently, only 50% of Minnesotans ages 12-15 and less than 60% of Minnesotans ages 16-17 are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the lowest vaccination rates of all eligible age groups. To help encourage more shots in students’ arms, last week, Governor Walz announced the launch of “Kids Deserve a Shot,” an incentive program encouraging 12-17-year-olds in Minnesota to get fully vaccinated. The program offers two sets of rewards: a $200 Visa gift card for 12-17-year-olds who start and complete their vaccine series over the next six weeks, and five drawings of $100,000 Minnesota college scholarships for any Minnesotan 12-17 years old with a complete vaccine series.
You can read full details about the program, including rules and registration information, here.
MVP Survey
Our state has experienced numerous challenges over the last year and a half. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused immeasurable difficulties, we’ve seen significant shortcomings in our criminal justice system, and economic security remains out of reach for many. As my colleagues and I look forward to the next legislative session, we’re looking to hear directly from Minnesotans about what’s going well for your family, what you may be struggling with, and what you feel we as lawmakers can do at the State Capitol to improve opportunities across our state.
You’re invited to take the 2021 Minnesota Values Project Survey. The survey is only four questions and should only take a few minutes. Together, we have the opportunity to both respond to people’s needs now in the short term and make the significant changes necessary to improve people’s lives over the long haul. We’re deeply grateful for your feedback and your engagement.
Please continue to stay in touch with your viewpoints, ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance. Thank you for the honor to work as your public servant.
Sincerely,
Jen Schultz
State Representative