Rep. Debra Hilstrom (HD40B) Update: April 2, 2018

Rep. Debra Hilstrom (40B) – Legislative Update

Dear Neighbors,

Thank you for the honor of serving our community at the Minnesota State Capitol. We’re about halfway through the legislative session and there is significant work yet to finish. Passing a public infrastructure bill, addressing federal tax legislation, ensuring safety for seniors, and taking steps to end the opioid epidemic all remain outstanding. I will continue working to prioritize a better future for all Minnesotans through investments in education, healthcare access, and other things we value that make our state great for everyone.

Please continue to reach out with your feedback and ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance.

Debra

State Budget

The most recent budget forecast projects a $329 million surplus. Our economy in Minnesota continues to make progress with an unemployment rate that remains at a historic low. Minnesota continues to outpace most states in the nation on lists of rankings for best places to do business, best places to retire, and best places to raise a family.

It’s important to exercise caution though. Federal uncertainty could threaten the economic outlook for our state and Minnesota families. We must invest responsibly in things that will increase opportunity for all Minnesotans. A few weeks ago, Gov. Mark Dayton outlined his proposed supplemental budget here. The House and Senate will develop their own budget proposals over the coming weeks.

Education

All Minnesota kids deserve a world-class education. While this is not a “budget year,” our modest budget surplus allows us to make some investments in Minnesota children. I support Gov. Dayton’s plan to extend voluntary preKindergarten funding for over 4,000 students in more than 59 districts and charter schools throughout the state. After next school year, families in districts including Osseo, Robbinsdale and Anoka-Hennepin could lose preK opportunities if investments we passed last year aren’t made permanent. Special education costs also continue to rise for many school districts. Gov. Dayton has proposed increasing these state investments by $16.9 million.

Improving school safety is a bipartisan priority this session. The Governor has a plan to invest $15.9 million to help districts make safety upgrades to schools and provide support to students who may pose a danger to themselves or others. His plan also includes $5 million of school-based mental health grants.

Capital Investment

Sizable capital investment (bonding) bills are commonly considered in the even year of a biennium. They contain funding for important infrastructure improvements of our state buildings and other assets. Our higher education facilities, prisons, bridges, dams, affordable housing and more are all in need of repairs and maintenance. Gov. Dayton announced his robust $1.5 billion bonding proposal prior to session. Investments in key infrastructure should be made now while interest rates are still relatively low. The House and Senate majorities have not released their bonding proposals yet.

Senior Safety

Recently, the Star Tribune published a series that detailed serious abuses, theft, neglect, and other mistreatment going uninvestigated in Minnesota’s senior care facilities. After investigations by AARP and the Office of the Legislative Auditor, Gov. Dayton joined legislators to announce a broad set of reforms and investments to hold providers guilty of abuse accountable and to protect the health, safety, and dignity of seniors and vulnerable adults.

I’m committed to doing everything we can to ensure this behavior stops. We owe it to families to take action on meaningful fixes now. I will be pushing for changes this session.

Taxes

Along with his supplemental budget, Gov. Dayton outlined his tax proposal which would deliver tax cuts to 2 million Minnesotans. His plan would address consequences Minnesota faces from the Trump federal tax bill. If we were to fully conform our state taxes to the federal changes it would raise taxes on Minnesotans by over $400 million.

The Governor is also pushing to roll-back last year’s tax breaks given to corporate special interests (including big tobacco) and estates of very wealthy Minnesotans. The richest Americans and large corporations were the biggest winners under the federal bill. It’s important that any tax changes we make at a state level provide some balance by giving benefits to working families.

Transportation

The new Minnesota Licensing and Registration System (MNLARS) was launched with a rocky start. Recently the House, Senate, and Governor agreed to a $10 million package of investments to keep repairs to the system on track. Delivering this emergency funding was critical to keeping IT professionals on board to get the system performing at a high level. Minnesotans count on key government services like this to work well, and when they don’t we need to fix them.

Another transportation proposal emerging this session is a constitutional amendment from Republicans in the House and Senate. This would dedicate sales tax proceeds from auto parts and repairs to transportation projects. No one disputes that our roads and bridges need better upkeep. This plan, however, would pay for transportation upgrades with money taken from other things we value, like education and health care. It remains to be seen if this will move forward in the Legislature and ultimately end up on the general election ballot.

Health Care

The rising cost of health care is placing an unfair burden on too many Minnesota families. One proposal would create a MinnesotaCare Buy-In option. For over 25 years, MinnesotaCare has provided quality coverage to low and middle-income families with access to providers across the state. This would provide another, more affordable health insurance option for 100,000 more Minnesotans. Under this plan, consumers would pay their own premiums (about 25 percent less expensive than current rates on the private market) with no ongoing support from taxpayers.

Republicans have introduced other proposals, like new requirements for Medical Assistance (MA) recipients. Minnesotans on MA have extremely low-incomes, under about $16,000.  Many are seniors, pregnant women, or people with disabilities or mental illness. Most recipients work. Removing health insurance from this population would result in more uncompensated care with other health care consumers ultimately paying for it.

Opioid Epidemic

Prior to session I joined Governor Dayton at a press conference introducing a comprehensive package of legislation to create an Opioid Stewardship Program to end our state’s opioid epidemic. The proposal would fund grants to local communities and tribal governments for prevention efforts, investments in Minnesota’s Prescription Drug Monitoring program (to better prevent “doctor shopping”), a variety of investments in treatment and recovery programs, and more tools for law enforcement and first responders, including providing a greater supply of the lifesaving medication Narcan.

In the original proposal, the Opioid Stewardship Program would have been funded by a “penny-a-pill” assessment on pharmaceutical companies who produce opioid pain killers. This fee has since been dropped from the legislation. Pharmaceutical companies have faced virtually no accountability for their role in creating this crisis. As they continue to benefit from increased profits from these medications, they should contribute a modest amount to curb these abuses.

State Employee Contracts

After a long delay, labor contracts were ratified last week for 30,000 state workers. These contracts were negotiated fairly between the unions and executive branch last year. Unfortunately they were held up by partisan politics. No family should ever have their economic security threatened in such a way. The people who plow our roads, monitor health emergencies, inspect bridges, keep our water clean, and respond when our state is in crisis all deserve fair pay and benefits.

Employee Pensions

A solution to address the financial security and sustainability of public pensions for over 500,000 active and retired public employees is moving forward. The fix would require workers and employers to put in a bit more, and then payout slightly less to retired workers over time. While we’re not as bad of a predicament as other states, this will cut our long-term liability in half. It’s good to know we’re able to keep the promises we made to the people who worked so hard for us as teachers, police officers, and others who fill so many of our state’s vital needs.

The Senate unanimously passed this bill and now we await action in the House.

DWI loophole

Under current law, while someone convicted of a DWI may lose their ability to drive an automobile, they don’t lose the ability to drive a snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle (ATV). They also don’t lose the ability to drive an automobile for a first time DWI offense which occurs while using a motorboat, snowmobile or ATV. Several identical bills are moving forward to close this loophole.

The need to fix this came to light with the tragic death of eight-year-old Alan Geisenkoetter of Chisago City. Alan was killed by an individual riding a snowmobile with a history of drunk driving offenses, license revocations, and a pending DWI charge.

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