WEEK Eleven Friday March 22
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Spring is here and next week will be the last before second deadlines for bills. I will have at least five being heard next week and more may be added. Below you’ll find the current list of my bills.
My Bills
There are two important things I want to bring before your eyes that happened this week. First, Thursday was World Down Syndrome Day. We celebrated all of our wonderful people who live, laugh and thrive no matter their chromosome count.
Second, I feel we displayed unity across several fronts. There was a tragedy in New Zealand that affected people of all races and religions. It is in times like that we must come together and we did come together to mourn the lives that will be missed after a horrible act was committed.
There is another tragedy on the way if nothing is done to delay it. Roughly 4,000 of our Liberian community members may be deported if the Federal DED (Deferred Enforced Departure) is not renewed by March 31st. Speaker Hortman and the house rallied a letter with signatures that was bipartisan to protect our Liberian Community Members. Then the Senate came together in an overwhelming majority (48 of 67) on the floor to sign individual letters supporting the continuation of DED and the protection of our community members who came here escaping war and became a part of our Minnesota Family.
I just wanted everyone out there to see that amidst all the blame game aggression that can be seen thrown about in politics, at heart we are all people who care and when it matters most we come together to get the job done.
Enjoy the warm weather and keep an eye out for next week’s updates,
John
Rally to “unset the sunset” on the provider tax held at the Capitol
The “This is Medicaid” coalition held a rally this week calling upon legislators to repeal the sunset of Minnesota’s healthcare provider tax. The governor and several legislators spoke in favor of extending the tax, which is set to expire at the end of the year. The provider tax is the largest source of funding for the Health Care Access Fund (HCAF), and if funding for it ends many Minnesotans will be at risk of losing their medical assistance benefits, endangering their long-term healthcare needs.
Veterans hold their Legislature accountable
Minnesota veterans from all branches of the military, including members of the Minnesota Association of Country Veterans Service Officers (MACVSO) and the United Veterans Legislature Council of MN (UVLC), met at the Capitol this week in a rally supporting veterans’ legislation. They were joined by the governor and several legislators to voice support of bills which seek to expand veterans care and to ensure that the needs of all veterans are being met by the state of Minnesota. Also at the rally were several World War II veterans. Their service, alongside that of several members of various veterans’ associations, was recognized by everyone in attendance.
Hometown heroes assistance program
Minnesota’s firefighters would receive vital supplemental state health assistance thanks to the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program being proposed in the Legislature this year. This bipartisan legislation addresses the alarmingly high incidence of cancer, cardiac issues, and emotional trauma facing the state’s 22,000 firefighters. (SF 2264)
Farm-to-school bill heard
A proposal heard in the Agriculture Policy Committee this week appropriates $4 million in the biennium for a farm-to-school program. The program’s intent is to increase school children’s access to locally grown and unprocessed, or minimally processed, foods. Eligible recipients include public and private districts and child care providers that participate in one or more federal child nutrition programs. (SF 1346)
Ethnic minority and immigrant farmer outreach
A proposal heard this week would appropriate $150,000 per year from the feneral fund to the commissioner of agriculture to hire a full-time emerging farmer outreach coordinator. The coordinator will work to connect ethnic minorities and immigrant farmers to agriculture opportunities and programs.(SF 2326)
Governor’s bill provides school funding increases
Governor Walz has proposed a $733 million two-year budget to provide additional funding to Minnesota schools. The state’s schools enroll around 840,000 students in over 300 school districts. The governor has also proposed various education policy changes. Both of his bill were heard in the Education Committee this week.(SF 2347, SF 2116)
QComp changes would provide bonus dollars to teachers
Alternative teacher compensation—also known as QComp – has been around for over a decade, but not all schools and teachers are able to participate because the funding is capped, with 23 schools currently on the waiting list. A bill heard in the Senate E-12 Committee this week, while not lifting the cap, would gradually increase the amount of funding for QComp and the amount of state aid for schools. (SF 1820)
Legislation to protect Minnesota seniors finally unveiled
After the 2018 session ended without any of the urgently needed reforms in long-term care, legislation has finally begun moving in the Senate this year to address abuse and neglect of Minnesota seniors. The legislation was heard in the Family Care and Aging Committee this week and is based, in part, on the work of various stakeholders who have been trying in earnest to find agreement on reforms that will keep seniors safe. However, this year’s legislation remains a work in progress, and advocates are still reviewing and evaluating everything that has been included in the bill after the final proposal was unveiled with less than 24 hours’ notice before it was heard in committee. (SF 8)
Senate continues efforts to hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable
Legislation to combat the opioid epidemic has been slowly but surely moving through the committee process. It was heard in its fifth committee stop this week. The legislation raises annual registration fees on pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesale distributors, charging up to $250,000 to manufacturers responsible for selling the highest quantities of opiates in Minnesota. The goal of this effort is to raise $20 million each year to fund treatment and prevention programs, amounting to just a sliver of the skyrocketing profits made by manufacturers of opiates each year. (SF 751)
Concerns raised with the Senate omnibus family child care package
An omnibus bill of regulatory changes for family child care providers is being quickly pushed through the committee process, receiving hearings this week in the Human Services Reform and the Jobs and Economic Growth Committees. Concerns were raised by members on both sides in the Family Care and Aging Committee while hearing the underlying bills in the package, which includes changes to things such as safety training and licensing violations. Some Senate Republicans have provided assurances that these concerns would be addressed moving forward; however, no changes have materialized. (SF 2)
Progress continues on prescription drug transparency for pharmaceutical middlemen
Bipartisan legislation to license key players in the pharmaceutical industry, called pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), made progress this week when it was heard in the Commerce Committee. PBMs contract with insurance companies to administer their prescription drug benefits, design formularies and preferred drug lists, determine patient co-pays, and pay pharmacy claims. Three PBMs – CVS Caremark, Express Scrips, and OptumRx – control a whopping 72% of the market. (SF 278)
Lawmakers seek funding to continue fight against tobacco
A bipartisan group of lawmakers are behind a bill presented to the Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee this week that would solidify the future of Minnesota’s successful anti-smoking efforts. QUITPLAN Services is a nonprofit organization that provides free tobacco cessation services to all Minnesotans. It was funded through a portion of the Minnesota tobacco settlement revenue that tobacco companies were ordered to send the state in 1998. (SF 461)
Bill would provide additional funds for small community colleges
A bill under consideration in the Higher Education Committee this week would provide additional funds for small community colleges outside the metropolitan area. (SF 1225)
Wage theft bill advances to Finance
A bill traveling through the legislature would increase the penalty for wage theft in Minnesota. The Senate version of the bill does not match up with the House bill, which is more stringent. The issue seems to be a priority for everyone, including Governor Walz. In his budget proposal, he allocated over $3 million in the biennium. In his budget proposal it was reported that “wage theft often disproportionately impacts communities of color, low wage, and female workers. It has been estimated that 39,000 Minnesotans suffer wage theft per year, resulting in $11.9 million in unpaid wages.” (SF 1816)
Severe and pervasive requirement for sexual harassment still an issue at the Senate
A 1986 Supreme Court decision required that sexual harassment be severe and pervasive in order for judges to consider sexual harassment lawsuits. Since then, victims of harassment have routinely been denied an opportunity for their voices to be heard or for a day in court. (SF 2295)
Privacy in a world of lives lived online discussed in Judiciary Committee
The Senate Judiciary Committee heard two bills this week that would protect Minnesotans from privacy overreach by their employers and the government. (SF 1432, SF 1431)
Divestment from fossil fuels considered
Two bills were heard in the Legislative Commission on Pensions and Retirement this week that would study and divest pension investments from fossil fuel funds. The State Board of Investment invests over $60 billion in pension assets with a small percentage invested in the energy sector that includes companies involved in the production and distribution of fossil fuels. The impetus for these bills is to discourage the consumption and profitability of fossil fuels that contribute to climate change. The bills were laid over in the commission and may be considered later in session. (SF 2276, SF 2277)
Tax Committee considers taxpayer dollars for private schools
The Tax Committee considered a bill this week that would reward businesses or individuals making donations toward private- and religious-school scholarship funds or public-school foundations. The legislation sets aside $35 million a year for Equity and Opportunity Tax Credits for corporations or taxpayers who donate to non-profit groups that, in turn, would provide private-school scholarships to select low-income or disabled students. It is unclear how public-school foundations would be able to utilize the donations to support students. (SF 1872)
Tax credit for affordable housing
Governor Dayton convened a Housing Task Force last year to identify methods to improve affordable housing options across the state. The housing industry is facing a multitude of challenges; in many areas of the state, the cost to build new construction is higher than what area residents can reasonably afford, leading to a glut of housing options. (SF 404)
Local Government Aid increase considered
Local Government Aid was part of the “Minnesota Miracle” package in the 1970’s that reimagined how the state and local governments could better work together to support Minnesotans. Since its inception, it has allowed communities to provide quality local services that everyone relies upon, such as police and fire protection, while protecting property tax payers from shouldering the entire cost. (SF 1939)
Deputy registrar relief passes
Legislation to provide deputy registrars with $13 million for grants to reimburse them for costs incurred due to lost business productivity from the problematic rollout of MNLARS passed off the Senate floor this week on a 60-6 vote. Deputy registrars, in addition to public Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) offices, process driver’s licenses, titles, and tabs. MNLARS is the software system rolled out in 2017 that ended up creating some problems for deputy registrars. (SF 621)
Hands-free in the House, Senate to follow suit
A bill passed by the House this week addresses distracted driving in the state. According to the Department of Public Safety, distracted driving was a contributing factor in one in five crashes between the years of 2013-2017. During this timeframe, there have been an average of 59 deaths and 223 serious injuries each year in Minnesota as a result of distracted driving. (SF 91 , SF 75)
The Gas Tax Discussion
Minnesota’s highways and bridges face a $6 billion funding gap over the next 10 years. An $18 billion gap is estimated over the next 20 years to maintain the performance of the state’s entire transportation system. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the average Minnesotan spends over $1,300 per year in gas, car repairs, and lost time due to wear and tear on state roads. ASCE graded the State’s roads in 2018 a D+, bridges a C, and transit a C-. The 2018 Minnesota Statewide Highway Investment Plan (MnSHIP) determined that additional funding is necessary for the state’s crumbling infrastructure and construction needs.
What do we need? Tell me what you think. There are many ways to address this problem. It is important and it is just as important we look at all the options.
Bill would give Department of Veterans Affairs well-deserved publicity
A bill heard in the Senate Veterans Committee this week would allow the state’s Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) to spend agency funds on a publicity representative. The department has only a five-person communications shop to provide outreach, communications, and media relations for the entire department as well as the state’s five veteran homes. While contracting with outside firms would allow the department to expand their outreach and work with new media forms without a long-term commitment, state statute currently forbids them from doing so. (SF 2440)
A Video Update from Senator Hoffman
It is my greatest honor to represent you the citizens of Brooklyn Park, Champlin and Coon Rapids here at our great state capitol. In addition to representing you, I absolutely enjoy it when you come visit.So come on down, reach out and tell me what matters to you so I can continue working on your behalf. You can reach me by email at sen.john.hoffman@senate.mn, phone by 651-296-4154 or just stop by. I am at 95 University Avenue Suite 2231 in the Minnesota Senate Building
Sincerely,
Senator John Hoffman
If you have any questions or concerns feel free to call my office at 651-296-4154 or by e-mail at jhoffman@senate.mn