Recently,I visited Little Blessings in Anoka. Thanks for letting me visit and learn more about your organization!
Dear Neighbors,
I hope you have had time to enjoy the beautiful fall weather this past month as cooler temperatures have descended on our great state. Here is an update on a few items that have been making news this past month.
Real ID
A meeting took place earlier this week between officials from Homeland Security and lawmakers to discuss Real ID and what we can do to work with them to ensure Minnesotans’ IDs meet federal specifications.
Real ID is a set of standards and procedures for improving the security of driver’s licenses and personal identification cards passed by Congress and enacted into law in 2005. At the time, questions were raised over privacy issues, civil liberties, data security, and how states would handle this unfunded mandate – since they would bear the financial burden of meeting the new standards set.
At this time, Minnesota is one of six states and territories that do not have full compliance with Real ID standards.
There is concern regarding this issue because the federal government’s original bill sets 2016 as a deadline for states to comply or else citizens may be unable to board a commercial airplane as their driver’s licenses would not meet federal regulations. Rest assured, I am confident there will be a resolution to this issue and you and your family will have no problems flying commercially in the coming year.
For individuals who are concerned about this issue, one can apply for Minnesota’s “Enhanced Driver’s License”, which meets Real ID standards. This license is an additional $15 and requires more identification verification in order to receive it. For additional information on Minnesota’s “Enhanced Driver’s License” visit here.
Lawmakers Challenge EPA
43 colleagues and I have signed a letter to Attorney General Lori Swanson and Governor Mark Dayton, on Tuesday, asking them to add Minnesota to a growing coalition of states challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in federal court over the Clean Power Plan.
The plan, which mandates Minnesota reduce utility carbon emissions by over 40 percent by 2030, greatly expands the scope of federal authority and will impact the availability of affordable energy for families, businesses and communities across the state. The implementation of this new rule could lead to closures of coal-fired power plants, further increasing energy costs and creating substantial job loss.
Minnesota has a long tradition of finding efficient and effective ways to protect our natural resources. A cleaner environment is something everyone wants, but the president’s plan will cause undue hardship for hardworking Minnesota taxpayers.
More Problems with MNsure
News from the Minnesota Department of Commerce on Thursday revealed that Minnesotans who purchase their insurance through MNsure will see their premiums rates soar next year.
These new rates would apply to Minnesotans who have purchased individual insurance plans and not for those who are insured through their employer.
Here is a breakdown, by provider, of the average percentage increase in premiums.
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Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota: 49%
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Group Health, Inc.: 31.3%
These increased rates are just further evidence of the failure that is MNsure. We were promised that premium rates would go down and that families would be able to keep more of their hard-earned money. This is clearly not the case as thousands of Minnesotans will see insurance costs skyrocket while their wages remain stagnant.
My colleagues and I in the House successfully passed reforms to establish more oversight of MNsure, bringing greater transparency in insurance prices and creating a waiver that could give Minnesotans more affordable health care options.
I remain committed to finding additional solutions for Minnesotans forced to use MNsure. We can do better.
40 Days for Life
With the recent controversy sparked by a string of sting videos released by the Center for Medical Progress, I wanted to alert you to an opportunity to participate in a positive reaction to these videos: the 40 Days for Life campaign. For more information on how you can participate, see: http://plam.org/programs/40-days-for-life/.
Furthermore, there are reports that the University of Minnesota purchased fetal tissue for research as recently as 2014.
An article by Alpha News notes, "[S]ince several of the University of Minnesota purchase orders include overnight shipping fees, while others do not, it’s fair to ask whether there is a local provider of fetal body parts operating in the state...."
For more, see: http://alphanewsmn.com/2015/10/are-minnesota-abortion-clinics-involved-in-sale-of-fetal-body-parts/.
Indeed, we are severely past due for an investigation.
Please contact Governor Dayton and Attorney General Swanson to ask for an investigation into this matter as soon as possible. You can find the Governor’s contact information by visiting here. For Attorney General Swanson visit here.
Staying in Touch
If you or someone you know would be interested in participating in the House’s high school page program, please direct them to this link. The House’s high school page program is open to high school juniors and is a great opportunity for students to gain a better understanding of the legislative process.
There are a number of local events taking place in the coming days and weeks:
This Saturday, Oct. 10th there is a public safety open house taking place in Ramsey. Information for the event can be found here.
Pumpkin carving and a variety of other fall and Halloween themed events will be taking place in Anoka on October 24. Information regarding these events can be found at, www.anokahalloween.com.
Thank you for taking the time to read this week’s update. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or comments regarding anything related to state government. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-1729 or via email at rep.abigail.whelan@house.mn.
Sincerely,
Abigail