Friends and neighbors,
We’re back from the one break that we get during the legislative session, and work is in full swing. The coming weeks will be full of important, bipartisan conversations. I look forward to putting aside some of the intense polarizing political issues to find where we agree on important issues to get work done for Minnesotans.
Common-Sense Corporate Accountability Measures
There’s a trend we’re seeing at the Minnesota House that’s important to note: my colleagues and I have developed low- or no-cost ideas to address issues like big corporations ripping you off, getting the most money off of you in the health care and housing industry, and buying politicians through election spending. These bills, from stopping companies from using AI to set unfair prices, to keeping energy price increases from going to CEO pay, to making health insurance more affordable and effective, have been blocked by the other side of the aisle.
What we have is a status quo system where the largest corporations can do anything to us, jack up our prices, hurt consumers, and face no regulation. It’s not a free market, it’s a rigged one. I guarantee that if we had kept the common-sense accountability measures and fair taxes that both parties supported in the pre-Reagan era, we wouldn’t be facing the immense affordability challenges we’re facing today. I want you to know where I stand: I’m pro-Minnesotan, pro-economic opportunity, and pro-small business — and I think the big guys could use some rules around how much they grow their profit margin at Minnesotans’ expense.
Hospitals or Big Pharma?
It’s not a flashy issue, but there’s an important fix to an existing program in the works that helps our local hospitals at a time where they’re getting hit by budget cuts from the federal government. The bill moving through the Legislature takes off a scheduled sunset of a program that forces Big Pharma to discount medicine for hospitals that provide charity care, and allows enforcement if pharmaceutical companies are breaking the law and inflating prices. Complicated, right? What you should know is that this bill passed the Senate with bipartisan support, but is stalling in our chamber because of pressure from the pharmaceutical industry. It’s a non-controversial fix, and it’s a blatant example of undue industry influence on the Capitol that folks should know about.
I want to hear from you!
I believe a strong, representative democracy should directly reflect the peoples’ interest - which is why I want to hear about your interests! Please consider filling out my constituent survey. Knowing what problems you’re dealing with, what you want to see from the Capitol, and what you want the future to look like helps me get work done for you.
Thank you for the time you take to read these newsletters, please remember you can always email me at rep.zack.stephenson@house.mn.gov with your thoughts and concerns.
Have a great week,
Zack
