On climate, energy, health care, taxes: Lawmakers round out session in St. Cloud

Jun. 15--ST. CLOUD -- Some proposals lived and some died by the end of the legislative session this spring.

Central Minnesota lawmakers had a vote in which tax cuts, incentives and policy changes made it through. And they championed or fought against those proposals on behalf of Central Minnesotans.

They shared their take on the session and answered questions at two events this week.

District 13 and 14 lawmakers attended the St. Cloud Times' sponsored event Policy Drafts: A political happy hour on Thursday afternoon.

The St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce held a session wrapup Friday morning with nearly every District 13, 14 and 15 lawmaker.

Here's how they reflected on some of this year's top issues.

Energy and climate

People at the Policy Drafts event wanted to hear lawmakers' take on climate change, and answers quickly pivoted to energy.

Rep. Dan Wolgamott, D-St. Cloud, said he supports using zero-emission vehicles in public transit, something that came up in his time on the House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee.

Sen. Jerry Relph, R-St. Cloud, said lawmakers passed a provision to provide reimbursements to facilities that find energy efficiencies, such as with windows and light bulbs.

Relph said he supports an "all of the above" energy strategy, which is shorthand for keeping fossil fuels, nuclear and renewable energies in the mix.

Relph supports the use of nuclear as a clean energy and decried the moratorium on new power plants. Nuclear power generation doesn't produce greenhouse gases.

A bill in the DFL-led House called for carbon-free electricity in the state by 2050, but it didn't pass.

Taxes

Lawmakers from both parties were happy to tout the income tax cut from 7.05% to 6.85% for middle-income people, including couples who earn between about $38,000 and $150,000.

"It was a good tax cut," Howe said at the chamber event. But even so, "our appetite for spending wasn't kept in check."

Rep. Sondra Erickson, R-Princeton, serves on the House Taxes Committee. She highlighted a decrease in the Social Security subtraction and the addition of an angel credit for businesses at Friday's chamber event.

The working family tax credit increased too, which Erickson would like replaced with better jobs, she said.

Omnibus bills

Howe commiserated with constituents about the Legislature's penchant for omnibus bills and last-minute decision making on Thursday.

"I'm as frustrated as anyone else. I'm still trying to figure out what was passed, what wasn't passed," Howe said. "It is what it is. We don't like them, but it's the way the process currently works."

The governor and one leader from the House and Senate did much of the final budget negotiations behind closed doors this year.

"We're the only divided Legislature in the country," Relph said. "I'm rather proud of what we did this session, not withstanding all the rock throwing and everything else that happened."

Health care, prescription drugs and insulin

Officials agree they need to take steps to reduce the cost of insulin, but the parties haven't agreed on plan, said Rep. Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, at Thursday's event.

It's possible lawmakers will revisit this in a special session this year.

The Legislature worked on issues with pharmacy benefits managers, including a gag rule that kept pharmacists from telling customers about cheaper drugs for their prescriptions.

"They're getting the message," Relph said Friday about drug companies dropping some prices.

Assisted living facilities will be licensed, a policy in a new package of senior reforms passed this year.

Rep. Tama Theis, R-St. Cloud, said Friday she wants to keep an eye on the state regulators who oversee senior care.

"We've got to make sure that the agency is doing their best work as well," Theis said.

On the insurance front, Rep. Tim O'Driscoll, R-Sartell, brought up the state's reinsurance program on Thursday and Friday, which helps people buy insurance on the individual market, he said. It was extended for two years, and he'd hoped it would be extended even longer.

Benefits for individuals and corporations

At the chamber event some Central Minnesota Republicans expressed relief that a proposed family and medical leave program failed.

The chamber opposed the plan, which would have created a new division of the state to run a family and medical benefit insurance program.

"What you're talking about is a statewide Social Security system," Relph said. "I think we have to incentivise this rather than regulate it."

Attendees at Policy Drafts asked lawmakers for their take on "corporate welfare."

Lawmakers then discussed the value of incentives for businesses.

Sartell, Sauk Rapids and St. Cloud as well as Minneapolis and St. Paul have offered incentives, O'Driscoll said. "We gave incentives to be able to build the Vikings stadium."

Transportation

Wolgamott, Relph and Theis worked together to secure $650,000 to start the process of extending a Northstar commuter rail line to St. Cloud.

"Now the real work begins," Wolgamott told the crowd at Friday's chamber event. The three St. Cloud lawmakers will work to ensure the Department of Transportation makes good use of the funding, he said.

Relph acknowledged a Northstar route will never pay for itself. Neither does Interstate Highway 94, he said.

"It's actually a pretty good deal," Relph said of the commuter line, with benefits for disabled people, the elderly, the workforce and the Twins.

Nora G. Hertel: 320-255-8746, nhertel@stcloudtimes.com and on Twitter @nghertel.

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