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Our HHS budget expands support for prenatal care and maternal health, including extending health coverage for low-income mothers to 12 months following a birth. It would invest more in voluntary home visiting and in broader economic support for low-income families. The bill also includes funding for my proposal for a report on early childhood programming accessibility and usage for children in foster care. Using a combination of state and federal funds, the budget would invest more than $200 million in early learning and care for these families, as well as more than $300 million in monthly stabilization payments for this critical sector, with a focus on individual teachers and caregivers.
Passing Bills off the House Floor
Apart from our budget bills, which are constitutionally required to pass this session, we also passed a couple other bills off the House floor last week, including one of mine.
Thursday evening, we passed my bill to make the names of lottery winners’ private data, which applies to any lottery wins that include a cash payment greater than $10,000. When a Minnesotan is lucky enough to win big, it’s important that doing so doesn’t sacrifice their privacy or put their safety in jeopardy. With the increasing availability of personal information online, this bill strives to protect Minnesotans from the harm that can sometimes accompany these financial windfalls. This was my second bill this session to unanimously pass off the House floor, though I recognize it might be difficult to vote against my bill when I have my little legislative assistant with me. Babies are bipartisan - Haha!
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