Tag: Michael Howard

State Lawmakers Hold Bipartisan Roundtable to Address Soaring Cost of Insulin

House DFL logoSAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Legislators, advocates, and Minnesotans with Type 1 diabetes met today at the Capitol for the first in a series of community conversations to discuss solutions to the high cost of insulin. In the coming weeks, House DFLers will hold more conversations outside of the Capitol to listen to Minnesotans impacted by the high cost of insulin. Details for each event will be announced after they are finalized.

“Minnesotans are rightly demanding that we take action to address a life and death issue facing Minnesotans who can’t afford the insulin they need to survive – it’s time for all for us to step up,” said Rep. Michael Howard (DFL – Richfield), author of the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act. “Insulin manufacturers that are profiting from the pain of Minnesotans need to step up. Senate Republican leaders that refuse to engage on this bill need to step up. We can’t rest until we pass this bill because lives are literally on the line.”  

This year, Rep. Howard introduced the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act to establish an emergency supply of insulin for Minnesotans who cannot afford their insulin, to be paid for by pharmaceutical companies who are profiting. The House approved the bill – named for a Richfield resident who tragically died after being forced to ration his insulin due to high costs – as part of its Health and Human Services budget. However, the measure stalled in the Senate. Continue reading “State Lawmakers Hold Bipartisan Roundtable to Address Soaring Cost of Insulin”

Wednesday at 10:30: House DFL hosts roundtable to address soaring cost of insulin

House DFL logoSAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Minnesota House DFL lawmakers have announced plans for a series of Community Conversations across the state to give Minnesotans an opportunity to share their concerns and ideas for improving access to insulin and addressing the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs. The first roundtable is scheduled for Wednesday, August 14 at 10:30 a.m. in Room 120 of the State Capitol. Live video will be available courtesy of House Public Information Services here. Minnesotans who depend on insulin for themselves and their families and have experienced high costs are invited to join legislators to discuss the next steps to solve this crisis facing far too many Minnesotans.

“Minnesotans shouldn’t lose their lives because they can’t afford the lifesaving medications they need, like insulin,” said Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman. “The DFL Majority in the Minnesota House passed and sent to conference committee a strong proposal that would both help Minnesotans and hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable for the greed that is fueling this crisis. After the work of a bipartisan group of legislators, it’s critical to bring the public back into this process. We need to hear directly from Minnesotans about how this issue affects them and how best to address it.”

The price of insulin has tripled in the last decade, and studies indicate that 1 in 4 diabetics have resorted to rationing their insulin due to the high cost. During the last legislative session, the DFL-led Minnesota House passed the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act as part of the House Health and Human Services Omnibus Bill. Named for a Richfield resident who tragically died after being forced to ration his insulin due to the high cost of the drug, the bill would establish an emergency supply of insulin for diabetics who are unable to pay for prescription refills. Reimbursements for pharmacies would be paid through a fee on insulin manufacturers. Continue reading “Wednesday at 10:30: House DFL hosts roundtable to address soaring cost of insulin”

Statement on Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act

House DFL logoSAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Since June, a bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators have been meeting to discuss the issue of emergency insulin access for Minnesotans. Over several meetings, legislators discussed the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act with consensus emerging on the framework of an insulin assistance program, including eligibility and the parameters of how a program would serve Minnesotans in need of an emergency supply of insulin. Legislators did not reach consensus on the funding mechanism for the program. State Representative Michael Howard (DFL-Richfield) and Senator Melissa Wiklund (DFL-Richfield) released the following statement:

“We appreciate the willingness of this bipartisan group of legislators to come to the table and work on a solution to address the crisis facing Minnesotans who cannot afford their insulin. That work has yielded progress, yet important and urgent work remains because lives are at stake.

Our work must continue in the public arena. It’s time to hold public hearings where we can listen to our Diabetes community and the Minnesotans who are impacted by the unacceptable high cost of insulin. By working together in partnership with Minnesotans, we must drive toward consensus to pass the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act, providing emergency access to insulin to Minnesotans that need it while holding insulin manufacturers accountable for a crisis that they helped create.

No Minnesotan should ever again lose their life because they cannot afford the insulin they need to survive.”

Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: July 24, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

August 1st is just a few days away, which means another batch of new laws passed during this year’s legislative session will take effect. A list of all the new laws can be found here, which include an expansion of people allowed to administer EpiPens, increased transparency in clinical fees, the rejection of racially restricting covenants in property titles, and more.

An upcoming law that I’d like to take a moment to highlight for you is one you’ve probably heard about on the news, and that’s the new “Hands-Free” law. Starting August 1st, drivers in Minnesota can only use a mobile device in a hands-free mode while behind the wheel. This year at the Minnesota Legislature, we heard of countless avoidable tragedies where distracted driving was to blame. With similar laws in other states leading to a decrease in accidents, the bipartisan legislation we passed will work to make our roads safer.

The Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety offers an extensive amount of information on the new law, which you can find here, but these are some of the most common questions: Continue reading “Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: July 24, 2019”

Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: July 9, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

I hope the summer has been treating you well! I wanted to share the new laws that came into effect on July 1st. You can find a comprehensive list of these new laws here. Here’s a highlight of what to look out for:

  • Balanced Budget: The 2019-2020 state budget began on July 1st. Our budget invests $500 million in public education, protects health care for more than 1 million Minnesotans, and makes vital investments in housing across the state.
  • Election Security: Authorizes the state to accept nearly $6.6 million in federal Help America Vote Act funds to assist in beefing up the state’s election security.

Continue reading “Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: July 9, 2019”

Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: July 2, 2019

Our Crisis at the Southern Border and at Home 

As we celebrate our Independence Day this year, I can’t help but think of the humanitarian crisis at our southern border and at home. The ideals our nation was founded upon – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all – tell us that we are better than this.

I have heard from many of you that share a deep concern for what is happening and want to help. Below you will find some information and resources to help you learn, get involved, and share with others.

Last week, the House of Representatives POCI (People of Color and Indigenous) Caucus held an informational hearing to hear from immigration experts who have been to the southern border. We also heard from experts who shared information about immigration issues in our community and their impact on families and children. Continue reading “Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: July 2, 2019”

Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: June 3, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

The 2019 Legislative Session has concluded and Governor Walz has signed our new state budget into law.

The final budget represents a compromise between Governor Walz, the DFL-led House and the Republican-led Senate. It’s also a good deal for Minnesotans. We protected health care for more than 1 million vulnerable Minnesotans, made needed investments in education from cradle-to-career, and prioritized economic security for Minnesota families by investing in housing and child care. We secured these victories in the only divided state government in the country, avoiding a protracted budget showdown.

That said, important work went unfinished. Unfortunately, the Republican-led Senate was far more interested in preserving the status quo than moving a forward-looking agenda that invests in Minnesotans and our communities.

So that means we have work to do – to organize and build momentum for important legislation that we will take up in earnest when the 2020 session begins next February. Here are some highlights of our budget as well as an initial “To Do List” for the 2020 session:

HEALTH CARE

  • Protected health care access for 1.2 million Minnesotans, preserving ongoing funding for Minnesotans’ care that was jeopardized by Republican efforts to eliminate it
  • Provided first increase in MFIP family cash assistance in more than 30 years

EDUCATION

  • Invested more than $500 million in E-12 education, providing a “2% and 2%” increase on the general education formula and freezing the special education cross-subsidy
  • Extended pre-K funding, ensuring more than 4,000 young learners have access to quality pre-K in their communities

HOUSING

  • Provided $180 million total investment in housing to increase and preserve affordable housing options throughout the state
  • Invested $3.5 million in Homework Starts with Home, a bill I authored to combat youth homelessness and connect families with rental assistance and support
  • Passed my right-of-first-refusal bill that will protect residents of manufactured homes and bolster the use of manufactured homes to address our affordable housing crisis

ENVIRONMENT

  • Invested in greater research, enforcement, and accountability for chronic wasting disease and aquatic and invasive species
  • Passed “Lawns to Legumes,” securing $900,000 for pollinator friendly yard grants for residents

TAXES

  • Passed federal tax conformity that benefits low and middle-income Minnesotans
  • Invested an increase of $61 million dollars in Local Government Aid, supporting our local communities and helping to hold down property taxes

TO DO LIST FOR 2020 

The Republican-led Senate blocked several important bills that were priorities for many of you. I look forward to working together to move the ball forward on these important bills in the months to come:

  • Pass the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act and other reforms to make prescription medication more affordable and hold big pharmaceutical companies accountable
  • Enact common-sense gun violence prevention reforms
  • Pass the 100% clean energy by 2050 standard, making Minnesota a national leader in renewable energy
  • Make new investments in housing, specifically to address the loss of naturally occurring affordable housing in our communities
  • Invest in a 21st Century transportation system that addresses roads, bridges and transit needs across the state
  • Restore voting rights for Minnesota felons who have served their time
  • Ban conversion therapy
  • Pass guaranteed paid family leave and earned sick-and-safe time for Minnesota workers
  • Driver’s Licenses for All

Please Stay In Touch
Representing our Richfield and Bloomington communities in the Minnesota House has been an honor this session. I am grateful for all of your input and support and look forward to staying in touch. We expect to hold some issue forums in the coming months to debrief on the progress we’ve made and the important work ahead. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to call or e-mail with a question or idea.  As always, you can reach me at rep.michael.howard@house.mn or at (651) 296-7158.

In partnership,

Michael Howard

Statement from Rep. Howard on the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – This morning, Minnesotans learned that despite bipartisan support in the House and Senate for the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act, Senate Republicans refused to include the provision in the omnibus health and human services omnibus bill. Senator Benson blamed its omission on a clerical error. Nevertheless, Senate Republican Leadership refused to re-open negotiations to reach an agreement. Rep. Michael Howard (DFL-Richfield), author of Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act released the following statement:

“Alec Smith should have been celebrating his 28th birthday this week, but he died rationing his insulin because he couldn’t afford it. We have a responsibility as legislators to do everything in our power to make sure this never happens again. Unfortunately, Senate Republicans have shirked that responsibility and killed the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act this session.

“This is devastating news for Alec’s parents, Nicole Smith-Holt and James Holt, who have been fighting tirelessly to ensure no one suffers the same fate as their son, and to the thousands of Minnesotans who struggle to afford the insulin they need to survive. It is all the more devastating because there is no compelling reason why we shouldn’t have taken action and passed this bill.

“Senate Republicans passed a version of Alec’s Bill on a vote of 65-0 and the House had offered to accept a position substantially similar. Senate Republicans owe Minnesotans an explanation for why they would go out of their way to stop such an important, life-saving bill that had broad, bipartisan support.

 

“Minnesotans will not accept what is indefensible. We aren’t going anywhere. We will only get louder. We will only get stronger. And we won’t stop until every Minnesotan has access to the insulin they need to survive.”

Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: May 21, 2019

Neighbors,

We’ve demonstrated this week that a divided state legislature, with a lot of discussion and compromise, can get things done to move the needle forward for Minnesotans. We agreed on a state budget, and passed measures to invest in higher education, stop the opioid epidemic, and prevent elder abuse.

I am working to finalize the State Government budget, and have the Senate Majority Leader’s word that the Senate will finally approve the $6.6 million in Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funding given to Minnesota by the federal government to secure our elections from outside interference.

While we’re still finalizing the details of some of our bills, we have a lot to be proud of. 

Continue reading “Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: May 21, 2019”

Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: May 17, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

There are only a few days left in the legislative session before our constitutional deadline of May 20th. As I write this, Governor Walz, Speaker Hortman, and Senate Majority Leader Gazelka continue to meet to discuss our state budget and work to reach consensus.

This time of session can be frustrating for Minnesotans because political gamesmanship can take the focus away from where it should be – the decisions that will make a difference in the lives of others.

We are continuing to fight for a budget that invests in the things that Minnesotans care about – improving education, increasing access to affordable health care, and making our communities more inclusive and safe. Continue reading “Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: May 17, 2019”