Legislative Update - May 15, 2019

Neighbors,

Since the moment I got into office, I've been working on legislation to bring down the cost of pharmaceutical drugs. Last week, the house passed by bill to regulate and require transparency from Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), which serve as pharmaceutical middle men. 

Right now, these PBMs can take kickbacks from drug manufacturers in return for the PBM offering the drugs to pharmacies. It incentivizes PBMs to advocate for higher-cost drugs, and all their transactions are trade secrets. We let a key player in the health care industry operate in obscurity. As a legislator, I feel a responsibility to increase transparency and accountability in health care to make sure that Minnesotans can afford the medications they need to survive. I'm proud to have worked with republicans in the Senate to get this done. 

“I understand that Big Pharma is coming after me and has reached out to many of you here, and I want to be very clear that I don't care. I am going to stand up for people who are suffering in my community.”
Click here to hear more. 

Both the Minnesota House and Senate have approved their state budgets, and now conference committees are holding public hearings to identity similarities and differences in the House DFL and Senate Republican budgets.

The House DFL budget is called the Minnesota Values Budget, because we believe that budgets are more than just numbers on a spreadsheet – they should be a reflection our most deeply held values. Minnesotans care about each other, and we want to see one another succeed. We want great schools and affordable health care for our own families, and for our neighbors. 
 

Sitting in on the Health and Human Services Conference Committee

Governor Walz and House Democrats campaigned and won on the promise to make investments in the people of Minnesota – whether it’s our schools, health care, roads, transit, elders, or working families. The Senate Republican budget protects corporate tax loopholes and cuts health care for over 1 million Minnesotans.

While budget negotiations continue, we've also been passing bills off the House floor. 

Housing
We passed a Housing Policy bill on the floor this week. There is a growing affordable housing crisis in Minnesota - in our budget we invest in everything from homelessness, rental assistance programs, housing preservation, new development and affordable homeownership. The Housing policy bill contains provisions that strengthen tenant’s rights and ensure mutuality in their relationship with their landlords; modify expungements for evictions cases; and require longer affordability for state financed housing projects. Everyone in Minnesota deserves a safe home, that they can afford. 

Always glad to have 56B visitors at the Capitol! 

Equal Rights Amendment
Last week we voted on, and passed, a resolution memorializing Congress to remove the deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. The Amendment would add gender equality to our Constitution, and affirm our fundamental values of fairness. Women have faced historic and current barriers in achieving equal pay, reproductive choice, and access to economic independence - it's time to add gender equality to our constitution. 

Thanks for reading, and keep in touch! You can reach me any time at rep.alice.mann@house.mn or 651-296-5387. 

Sincerely,

Rep. Alice Mann