Committee Reviewing 1,043-Page Bill Raises Issue Over Minnesota’s Omnibus Process

  With the May 20 end of session looming, Minnesota lawmakers remain far apart on reaching a deal on the next state budget. The House and Senate each passed their own spending plans, and a conference committee began meeting late last week to hash out differences over a 1,043 page House Omnibus bill that increases spending on health and human services and has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle. Budget talks broke off late Monday. The Senate version of the bill is significantly shorter, and while it calls for no increased taxes and focuses on reform measures, it still spends $1.6 billion more than the current budget, which ends June 30. Omnibus bills involve legislation that contain more than one substantive issue, or several minor issues combined as one bill. When criticized over the length of the omnibus bill, House Speaker Melissa Hortman said, “I fought hard in private negotiations with Sen. [Paul] Gazelka for us to have an education policy bill, an environment policy bill, a health policy bill, an elections policy bill, an energy policy bill. And he prefers that we put those things in the larger public bills.” Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, said there is…

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Minnesota Democrats Introduce Bill to Create ‘Minnesota Health Plan’

A bill was introduced Monday in the Minnesota Senate to establish the “Minnesota Health Plan,” which would “ensure all Minnesota residents are covered.” Senate File (SF) 1125 was referred to the Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee, and is co-sponsored by five DFL lawmakers, including Sens. John Marty (D-Roseville) (pictured above), Thomas Bakk (D-Cook), Chris Eaton (D-Brooklyn Center), Susan Kent (D-Woodbury), and Ann Rest (D-New Hope). The bill states that “in order to keep Minnesota residents healthy and provide the best quality of health care, the Minnesota Health Plan must:” ensure all Minnesota residents are covered; cover all necessary care, including dental, vision and hearing, mental health, chemical dependency treatment, prescription drugs, medical equipment and supplies, long-term care, and home care; allow patients to choose their providers; reduce costs by negotiating fair prices and by cutting administrative bureaucracy, not by restricting or denying care; be affordable to all through premiums based on ability to pay and elimination of co-pays; focus on preventive care and early intervention to improve health; ensure that there are enough health care providers to guarantee timely access to care; continue Minnesota’s leadership in medical education, research, and technology; provide adequate and timely payments to…

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DFL State Senator Wants to Bring Plastic Straw Ban to Minnesota

Minnesota State Sen. John Marty (D-Roseville) introduced a bill Thursday that would make the distribution of “single-use plastic straws” by restaurants a “petty misdemeanor.” “A restaurant must not provide a single-use plastic straw to a customer unless the customer requests a straw or selects a straw from a self-service dispenser,” Senate File (SF) 756 stipulates. “Nothing in this section precludes a restaurant from providing customers with non-plastic straws as an alternative to single-use plastic straws, including but not limited to straws made from paper, sugar cane, or bamboo,” the bill adds. If passed, violation of the bill would result in a “petty misdemeanor” for non-compliant restaurants. The bill would apply to any restaurant that “operates from a location for more than 21 days annually,” excluding food carts and mobile food units. SF 754 currently has three DFL co-sponsors, including State Sens. Foung Hawj (D-St. Paul), Steve Cwodzinski (D-Eden Prairie), and Jim Carlson (D-Eagan). It was referred Thursday to the Commerce and Consumer Protection Finance and Policy Committee for a hearing. As City Pages notes, the conversation surrounding a plastic-straw ban began in Minnesota in 2018 when individual businesses started implementing bans. The iconic music venue First Avenue and 7th St.…

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