Weekly Review Video
A weekly message from your Senator
Dear Constituents and Friends,
As week three of the 2019 legislative session comes to a close, there have been a lot of new bills introduced and committees are starting to work full gear to hear those bills.
In Transportation Committee this week, we held an at times somber committee hearing for the two hands-free cellphone bills(S.F. 91, S.F. 75). I support this legislation and hope to work with my colleagues to get it through this session. These bills were passed unanimously by the Committee and are on their way to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
At the beginning of the week, I had the chance to participate in two press conferences for bills I am co-authoring this session. The first one was in support of The Paid Family and Medical Leave Act which comes as a response to changing demographics and an increasing need for caregivers as Minnesota’s retired population continues to grow. The coalition is working to gather bipartisan support and hopes the bill will be an active issue for the current legislative session. (HF 0005).
I also participated in a press conference to discuss and introduce legislation to prevent the high cost of insulin for Minnesota consumers. I am proud to be a co-author on S.F. 365 which ensures price transparency between insulin manufacturers, pharmacies, and customers. This is one of three pieces of legislation to address this issue introduced this week (S.F. 366, S.F. 364).
Next week, the bi-partisan legislation I have been working on to legalize cannabis will be introduced. I appreciate all of those of you who have reached out to my office to share your thoughts as it has helped me put together a bill with your concerns and ideas in mind. This bill is still a work in progress, so I want to continue hearing from you on what you would like to see in the framework.
Please don’t forget to join me, as well as Representative Heather Edelson and Representative Steve Elkins, for the District 49 Town Hall Meeting, so that I can hear directly from you and answer any questions you may have. I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Melisa
Minnesotans call for increased family and medical leave
The Minnesotans for Paid Family and Medical Leave Coalition, a group of organizations from the faith, labor, business, and nonprofit communities, held a press conference this week voicing its support for the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act. The bill seeks to implement a state-administered paid leave insurance program that would provide workers with up to 12 weeks of partial wage replacement for medical leave, as well as up to an additional 12 weeks of partial wage replacement for family leave.
The press conference highlighted the burdens placed upon workers, families, and business owners due to the lack of availability of paid family leave, as well as the difficulties faced by caregivers due to Minnesota’s current employer requirements. Other speakers noted the conflict between an outdated model of caregiving expectations, which depends upon a family member remaining home, and a more modern standard model which frequently involves all family adults working full-time jobs while also providing caregiving support.
In 2016, only 14% of civilian workers in the United States had access to paid family and medical leave, and more than 95% of Minnesotans rely upon employer sponsored healthcare. One in three U.S. civilian employees leave a job at some point in their careers due to caregiving needs. The Paid Family and Medical Leave Act aims to prevent this by ensuring that Minnesotans are able to meet their families’ caregiving needs without leaving the workforce.
Reducing the immorally high prices of insulin
A press conference this week highlighted a legislative package of four bills designed to bring down the immorally high price of insulin for Minnesota’s consumers.
The Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act, the first piece of the package, establishes a means for Minnesotans who are unable to afford their needed insulin to get their prescription filled on a temporary basis. The bill provides reimbursement for pharmacies through a fee paid by insulin manufacturers.
The second bill ensures price transparency between insulin manufacturers, pharmacies, and customers by asking insulin manufacturers to justify and explain each price hike they propose so customers can understand why they’re being charged more. It also calls for reports from pharmacy benefit managers and orders the Minnesota’s Health Commissioner to analyze the data and provide a report to the legislature. Price transparency was listed as one of the American Diabetes Association’s main recommendations for changes to the insulin industry in 2018.
The third bill works towards that same goal of accountability by creating transparency between insurance companies and their customers. It mandates that insurance providers disclose the brand of insulin and type of equipment provided under a healthcare plan.
The final bill creates a long-term plan for keeping insulin prices low for customers and allows the Minnesota commissioner of health to hold insulin manufacturers accountable for their prices by imposing reimbursement charges. The commissioner will collect and analyze data submitted from manufacturers, pharmacies and insurance providers to determine a reasonable price for insulin. (S.F. 366, S.F. 365, S.F. 364)
Bipartisan efforts to address the opioid crisis
A bipartisan group of legislators held a press conference this week to unveil legislation to help prevent opioid addiction and support children subjected to abuse or neglect. The state pays for the legislation with an increase in licensing fees on opioid manufacturers and distributors.
Highlights of the legislation include:
- Funding for county-administered social services to help kids who have been subjected to child abuse or neglect due to parental addiction.
- Prescription monitoring program to prevent overprescribing and “doctor shopping.”
- Public awareness, prevention, and education programs.
- Statewide access to effective treatment and recovery services.
- Continuing education for opioid prescribers.
- Research and development of evidence-based treatment programs.
- Stronger reporting by pharmaceutical companies.
In order to accomplish these goals, the bill creates an Opiate Stewardship Advisory Council, made up of legislators and medical and health experts, tasked with developing a statewide effort to curb opioid addiction.