Weekly Review Video
A weekly message from your Senator
Dear Constituents and Friends,
It was a busy week, as we approach the upcoming third deadline next week. Committees are starting to “mark-up” large omnibus bills to get them through the process on time. A bill to combat opioid addiction through higher drug company fees passed off the floor of the Minnesota Senate with strong bipartisan support. The House passed this bill last month, which sets up negotiations to work out differences in the two bills before sending the final compromise to Governor Tim Walz, who has indicated he would sign the bill into law. Bipartisan legislation to license key players in the pharmaceutical industry, called pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), unanimously passed the Senate floor this week in a 67-0 vote.
I had two bill hearings this week. SF 685 was heard in Taxes on Tuesday. It gives the city pooling authority for affordable housing projects in the Southdale 2 TIF district. SF 2269 was heard in Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Financing Committee on Monday. This bill would provide an additional 10 year look-back period to review the existing Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Both were laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bills for their respective committees.
Governor Walz delivered his State of the State address this week, where he shared stories of Minnesotans to highlight the important work that has yet to be done this legislative session. Minnesota has the only divided legislature in the United States, and although Governor Walz emphasized he wants to find a path forward and succeed, there are still differences in priorities between the House and the Senate.
Looking forward to the next few weeks as we put together omnibus bills. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns!
Sincerely,
Melisa
Senate Continues Efforts to Hold the Pharmaceutical Industry Accountable
The Senate passed bipartisan legislation off the floor this week to combat the opioid epidemic in a decisive 59-6 vote. 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.
The bill also authorizes funding to update the prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) to make it easier for doctors to use, requires prescribers to check the PDMP before prescribing controlled substances like opiates, and limits the quantity of opiates prescribed for acute pain, like pain after an injury or surgery, to a 7-day supply for adults and a 5-day supply for children. Doctors can still write prescriptions for more than the limit if they believe it is necessary, and prescriptions are not limited for patients experiencing chronic pain.
The legislation also includes a provision to sunset the highest fees in the bill if Minnesota receives more than $20 million from any of the active litigation against drug manufacturers. As a result, programs and services funded under the bill may not be able to depend on receiving the money and the Legislature would have to act to reinstate the fees. (SF 751)
Senate Passes Prescription Drug Transparency, Fails to Act on Emergency Insulin
Bipartisan legislation to license key players in the pharmaceutical industry, called pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), unanimously passed the Senate floor this week in a 67-0 vote. The legislation makes a strong statement that Minnesotans deserve more transparency at a time when the pharmaceutical industry keeps pointing their fingers at each other while prescription drugs prices for consumers rise higher and higher.
The legislation would authorize the Minnesota Department of Commerce to license and regulate PBMs operating in Minnesota and requires the companies to share certain information about how they conduct business. Licensing PBMs will shine a light on an extremely complex system that lawmakers see as a crucial first step toward reigning in high drug prices for Minnesotans. More information will help everyone, from lawmakers to patients, make better decisions that make health care more affordable and put patients first.
The House has included their companion bill in the health and human services omnibus bill, so the legislation will be considered in a conference committee. (SF 278)
Tax Committee Considers Buffer Property Tax Credit
The Senate Tax Committee considered a bill this week that would provide a state-paid property tax credit to landowners that have converted portions of farmland to buffer strips under the state’s buffer law that was enacted in 2015. Several farm groups, as well as Governor Tim Walz, are recommending compensation for agricultural landowners that have converted their land to help improve water quality throughout the state.
The bill considered this week would provide a credit equal to the net tax capacity-based property taxes that are attributable to the portion of the property containing the buffer. Governor Walz’s proposal is slightly different, proposing a $50-per-acre credit for eligible landowners. His proposal would cost about $15.8 million a year and would affect class 2A agricultural landowners; the Senate’s bill costs about $8.78 million per year and would be available to both 2A and 2B (rural vacant) landowners. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill. (SF 1937)
Transportation Package Voted Down
The Senate voted down a bill this week that included all three of Governor Walz’s transportation tax increases without including the Governor’s comprehensive plan for how to spend the additional revenue. The gas tax, tab fee, and motor vehicle sales tax increases would raise $1.3 billion next biennium and $2.2 billion in the 2022-2023 biennium exclusively for roads and bridges across the state.
MnDOT Commissioner Margaret Anderson Kelliher testified in the Senate Transportation Committee that over 50% of Minnesota’s roads are at least 50 years old. The American Society of Civil Engineers has given Minnesota roads a D+ rating and estimates the average Minnesotan already pays over $1,300 per year in additional gasoline due to congestion, lost time, and car repairs due to poor road conditions. (SF 2758)
Snow Days Bill Signed, School Districts Get Weather Reprieve
Minnesota school districts were handed an excused absence slip this week when Governor Walz signed the snow days bill that will remove penalties for school days lost due to Minnesota’s cold, snowy winter. The bill signing took place in the Governor’s reception room with Commissioner Mary Catherine Rickert and other legislators.
Missed school days became an issue after severe cold in January forced schools to close. Record snow fall in February also shuttered schools, again forcing them to keep buses off snow-clogged roads and highways.
As the snow days mounted, many districts realized they were at risk of falling short of the required numbers of days prescribed by state law (165 days). Some started adjusting school days by holding classes on otherwise closed days, shortening spring breaks, or looking to extend the school year further into June. Districts risked penalties for non-compliance with the required number of school days and hours. The provisions are in effect for the 2018-19 school year only.
The Senate and House passed a compromise bill last week. The bill allows school boards to determine how many days they will declare instructional days to meet the state minimum. The bill signed includes pay provisions for hourly and contract employees and provisions for probationary teachers. School districts must also report to the commissioner the number of days the board approves to count as instructional days under the bill. (SF 1743)