Minnesota News Network

A ban on abortions when there’s a fetal heartbeat, or at 20 weeks and after — both were voted down THursday night as the Democrat-controlled Minnesota House passed a major health and human services funding bill. Andover Republican Peggy Scott appealed to colleagues, “This child at 20 weeks, it’s 100-percent human. It feels pain.”

But Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North and South Dakota says the fetal heartbeat bill would make abortion illegal before most women even know they’re pregnant. The group says the 20-week-and-after ban would prohibit abortion when a woman needs the procedure to save her life or because of a fetal anomaly that’s not compatible with life.

Lawmakers say they’ll tighten hiring procedures for state jobs — that after former state representative Joe Radinovich resigned from a six-figure staff job on the Iron Range Board (IRRR) because he allegedly didn’t go through the normal hiring process. Republican Representative Sandy Layman from Cohasset promises a bill to require high-level public job openings be posted for at least 21 days. “I think the public was outraged by this and surprised that something like this could actually happen in state government, but it can. It wasn’t illegal,” she says.

Meanwhile the Minnesota Senate passed a state agency funding bill Thursday that includes a provision from Prior Lake Republican Senator Eric Pratt, requiring that hiring for management jobs in state agencies is “a fair and open process where all qualified candidates are given full consideration.” The Walz administration announced last week that it will tighten hiring rules for state agencies.

The Democrat-controlled Minnesota House on a party-line vote Thursday night approved a major health and human services funding bill, which Rochester D-F-Ler Tina Liebling says “makes a great step toward the future of allowing every Minnesotan to get the health care that they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford.”

House Republican Minority Leader Kurt Daudt warns Democrats want to end the “reinsurance” program that’s proven to lower health insurance costs. “You’re replacing it with a subsidy program that will help fewer people, it will cost more than reinsurance, and it won’t stop health care costs from skyrocketing next year,” Daudt says.

But Democrats argue another year of “reinsurance” gives taxpayer dollars to insurance companies without fixing underlying problems that drive up health care costs.

All Minnesota workers could have up to 48 hours of paid sick time per year to care for themselves or a loved one — plus the state would set up a more expansive paid family and medical leave program using contributions from workers and employers. That’s under a measure the Democrat-controlled Minnesota House passed last night (Wed) as part of a major budget bill. Opponents warn the extra expense could put tight-margin small companies out-of-business. “If we don’t have employers, we don’t have employees,” says Red Wing Republican Barb Haley. But Eagan Democrat Laurie Halverson says, “The people of Minnesota need our help.”

The measures face stiff opposition in the Republican-controlled Minnesota Senate.

Republicans tried again to clear the way for Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline by cutting off funding for the Walz administration’s legal challenge — but Democrats said “no” when they passed a major jobs-and-energy budget bill Wednesday night. Clearbrook Republican Matt Grossell says Line 3 “means jobs in my district: families, trades, union workers, people being able to work close to home.”

Minneapolis Democrat Jamie Long responds going to court is standard procedure in such disputes and adds, “One day you might agree with the Commerce Department rather than the Public Utilities Commission in that process.”

Enbridge said last month the Line 3 project will be delayed about a year because the state permit process is taking longer than expected. The Canadian company anticipates the line will enter service in the second half of 2020.

Do something about high prescription drug prices, say citizens at the State Capitol before tonight’s Minnesota House vote on a major health and human services funding bill. Claire Henn from Saint Paul, who has severe rheumatoid arthritis, says her medication co-pay went from 60 dollars a month to 14-hundred. “While I was off the medication I was in extreme pain,” she says. “I had to walk with a cane. I lost so much strength I couldn’t cut a peanut butter sandwich.”

House Democrats say their bill starts to rein-in “pharmacy benefit managers” which are making a lot of profit. They say there’s also a prescription drug program using the state’s buying power to reduce costs. It would start with public programs and later be available to everyone.

Family members looked on from the gallery as the Minnesota House today honored D-N-R Conservation Officer Eugene Wynn. Lawmakers paused for a moment of silence as an honor guard entered the House Chamber. Colonel Rodmen Smith says its a sad time for conservation officers. “When we get a call of somebody that’s in need, we put that person’s benefit first and we just go. And Gene was doing what he loved. Gene — Officer Wynn — was a true community service person,” Smith says.

Officer Wynn was investigating a report of a possible body on Cross Lake in Pine City when he and a sheriff’s deputy were thrown from their boat into the water. The deputy was rescued but Officer Wynn apparently drowned. Visitation and funeral services are Friday in Pine City.

Value-added agriculture, farm mental health, and more options for affordable housing — features Republicans highlight in a 258-million-dollar agriculture/rural development/housing bill the Minnesota Senate passed Tuesday night. There’s also money for expanding broadband Internet access in Greater Minnesota and Elbow Lake Senator Torrey Westrom says, “30 million dollars is a strong investment. The governor’s got 70 million [in his proposed budget], but that’s only coupled with significant tax increases. And so we don’t have tax increases to back-fill further investment. We use existing funds.”

Westrom says the bill also includes loans and grants to help small farms upgrade technology, and funding for a “soybean innovation campus” in Crookston.