Ways to Follow my Legislative Work Online

For the time being I will be using web-based methods other than my legislative blog to keep you informed with my work at the State Capitol to represent District 64A and our state. Here are some of the other ways you can continue to receive updates from me on the web.

Follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/epmurphy

Sign up for my regular legislative electronic updates at my House of Representatives website: www.house.mn/64a

And as always, feel free to contact me anytime with your questions, comments or ideas.

Erin

State Rep. Erin Murphy
345 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155
651-296-8799
E-mail: rep.erin.murphy@house.mn

GOP Agenda Lacks Focus on Jobs

House Republicans are moving forward with “Phase 1” of their plan to balance the budget. Unfortunately, they are moving forward without much public input and without much consideration of how their cuts will affect Minnesotans.

An example of the lack of input or thoughtful decision making came in our Health Care Committee last week. We had less than 24 hours to study this proposal that cut $71 million, affecting seniors and children. Even the new Republican Speaker of the House in Congress, John Boehner pledged support for a 72 hour period for legislators and members of the public to read and review legislation.

This video attached are my comments about the cuts in this bill to child protection services will shift an unfair burden onto our counties that will end up asking property tax payers to foot the bill.

In addition to this irresponsible budget plan, we are beginning to get a more complete look at the GOP agenda. Just in the past few weeks we have seen press conferences and bill introductions from the Republicans on voter ID, constitutional amendments related to guns, English as our official state language, repealing the Next Generation Energy Act, job cuts and wage freezes, and more.

What strikes me most is the absence of legislation that will create jobs and support working families. On the first day of session Speaker of the House Kurt Zellers said job creation would be the top priority. To date their rhetoric has simply not rung true.

State Legislators Speak Out on Affordable Care Act Repeal

As Congress considers legislation that would repeal the Affordable Care Act, it’s critical we consider what is at stake. Today the White House released a snapshot of what legislators are saying about “repeal” efforts from across the country. Here are my comments as well as those of others:

Minnesota Representative Erin Murphy:

“Repealing the Affordable Care Act means repealing affordable coverage for Minnesotans with preexisting conditions like asthma or diabetes. It means repealing consumer protections that protects an insured family from unfair premium increases. It means bringing back the prescription drug donut hole that prices seniors citizens out of the prescription drugs they need to stay healthy… Repealing the Affordable Care Act represents a fatal step backwards and the consequence is a less stable, more costly health care system for Minnesotans.”

Minnesota Representative Tom Huntley:

“Every day, Minnesotans are coming to appreciate the Affordable Care Act more and more. Adult children are being offered coverage on their parents’ policy, seniors are getting help with the costly donut hole, and small businesses are adding jobs because the tax credit is helping them provide health coverage.”

Iowa State Senator Jack Hatch:

“Before they vote, they need to think about the Iowa mother who can now get coverage for her 3-year old son who has severe asthma, a pre-existing condition; the Iowa cancer survivor who now no longer has to worry his insurance company will cut off his coverage due to an arbitrary lifetime limit; and, the tens of thousands of young Iowa men and women who now can get coverage on their parents’ health care plan.”

Texas Representative Garnet F. Coleman:

“It's telling that just weeks after taking office, Republicans in Congress have made it a priority to change current law to take away Americans' healthcare rights and allow insurance companies to drop someone from coverage if they develop a catastrophic illness like cancer. The Republican repeal would add billions to our national deficit and would have very real and drastic consequences on Texas families.”

Early MA is good deal for all Minnesotans

Last week I joined Governor Dayton in his reception room for the signing of his executive order to enroll Minnesota in early Medical Assistance (MA). It was the next step in what has been a long and ongoing journey to provide health care in a cost-effective manner for all Minnesotans.

Many people attended the signing and Governor Dayton allowed both supporters and opponents of early MA to voice their opinions. It was a refreshing display of democracy in action, which is why many news outlets spent a good deal of time discussing his remarkable decision to open his office to the people.

Along with appreciating Governor Dayton’s openness, I would like to highlight some the positive outcome for Minnesotans that his decision to enroll Minnesota in early MA. I’d also like to highlight some of the Republican myths you may have heard about early MA:

Health care for 95,000 Minnesotans
Covers 95,000 uninsured or underinsured Minnesotans who earn less than $8,000 per year with basic health care by capturing federal resources at no additional cost to the state.

Creates as many as 20,000 Minnesota Jobs
Provides more than $1 billion in additional payments to Minnesota’s health care workforce, hospitals and care providers who have been hit hard by past cuts.

Reduces the hidden tax on working families
Minnesota families pay a $1,500 hidden tax to cover the uninsured. Reducing unpaid care for 95,000 Minnesotans will significantly reduce that hidden tax for working families.

Eases strain on state budget deficit
Captures federal resources and provides care more cost effectively to SAVE the state $32 million next biennium and $233 million over five years.

Broad support from health care, businesses, and faith community
MA enrollment is supported by hospitals, nurses, seniors, business leaders, and faith organizations and more.

Dispelling Republican Myths

Don’t be fooled by “Tea Party” rhetoric
MA is not a radical form of “Obamacare.” It was created in 1965 as a federal/state partnership to provide basic health care to seniors, low-income, and the disabled.

MA enables us to move forward with cost saving reforms
MA does not “end” reform. To the contrary, MA retains innovative reforms passed in 2008 like health care homes, providing additional opportunities to reduce health care costs.

Authority to enroll Minnesota in MA passed bipartisanly
Dozens of legislative Republicans including the new Speaker of the House, Kurt Zellers, voted for the bill signed into law by Governor Pawlenty that authorized early MA enrollment.

The Work Ahead

Medical Assistance has long provided health coverage for low income seniors, disabled Minnesotans and low income families with children. The majority of the Medicaid budget is spent for the care of seniors and the disabled.

To tackle the cost trajectory in the years ahead, we must continue to pursue delivery and payment reforms across the system.

And So it Begins...

Mighty Citizens,

The 2011 legislative session began on Tuesday with my colleagues and me taking the oath of office. Raising my right hand and getting sworn in to return as your state representative was both humbling and inspiring. I am eager to get to work on the important challenges facing our community and state.

I am firmly committed to solutions that will create jobs, grow our economy for the future, and reaching a fairly balanced budget. That means protecting middle class families from steep property tax increases, college tuition hikes and damaging cuts to our schools. In the days leading up to the session new Republican leaders signaled they will put forward a budget that protects education, Minnesotans with disabilities, seniors, and public safety. I look forward to seeing the specifics of this plan and putting it through close examination so that Minnesotans know the true impact for their families and future.

I would love to see you this session, so please visit at my new office at 345 State Office Building. For those following the House committees you can also visit the three committees I will be serving on this session: Health and Human Services Finance, Health and Human Services Reform, and Rules and Legislative Administration.

Changes will mark the beginning of the legislative session. We have our first DFL Governor in about twenty years in Mark Dayton and have new Republican majorities in the Minnesota House and Senate. However, it will be how we respond to these changes that will mark the conclusion of the legislative session and ultimately the direction of our state.

It’s time to get to work.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Hopeful News on Job Creation

Minnesota received hopeful economic news today about our continued recovery. In May we created 5,600 jobs according to the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). This is the first time since 2008 we’ve seen two consecutive months of job growth.

Since the low point of the recession in September of 2009, we have created over 34,200 jobs. The road to recovery will be long, and not without setbacks, but it’s clear Minnesota is finally moving in the right direction.

Minnesotans are also making their way back to a full work week, an important economic indicator for a healthy economy. The average week increased to 33.1 hours. That is a boost from the 32.7 hours in January 2010.

Legislation we passed this session will help accelerate our recovery. Our bonding will put thousands of construction jobs across many different sectors. New workers will help improve our infrastructure and encourage entrepreneurship throughout Minnesota.

It will take time for our economy back to recover fully, but we’re on our way. We need to continue being proactive at the state level and pursue innovative reforms to create jobs and build our new economy for a successful future.

Learn how small businesses can take advantage of federal health care reform

The crushing cost of health insurance for small businesses was one of the driving forces for federal health care reform. Now that it’s law, it’s important for small business owners to know how they will be affected by reforms to address cost, unpredictable premiums, and lack of access to affordable choices.

The Small Business Majority (a non-partisan national non-profit organization created by small business owners) has released helpful information for small business owners to understand how federal health care reform will impact them.

They have also created a Small Business Calculator where small business owners can calculate the tax credit they will receive by offering health insurance to their employers

Here are a few of the significant ways federal health care reform will support small businesses:

Lower costs

• Small business tax credits - Creates a $40 billion tax credit from 2010 to 2019, providing approximately 4 million small businesses with a tax credit to offset employer health plan costs.

• Cost containment - Creates a small business health pool to spread risk and eliminates cost shifts that add to hidden tax passed on to everyone’s care when the uninsured seek expensive treatment in emergency rooms.

More choices

• Simplified options - Provides small businesses, including the self-employed, a new option for a simplified cafeteria plan to provide tax-free benefits to employees.

• Temporary High-Risk Pool - Creates a temporary high-risk pool in 2010, funded with $5 billion, to allow individuals who have been uninsured for six months and have a preexisting condition to buy affordable comprehensive coverage.

Insurance reforms

• Preexisting conditions - Prohibits medical screening for health conditions and makes it unlawful to deny coverage for preexisting conditions for serious health conditions.

• Oversight on premium increases - Establishes new processes for federal and state review of premium increases. Among other things, states may recommend that insurers not be allowed to participate in the exchanges due to unreasonable premium increases.

For more information visit www.smallbusinessmajority.org

GAMC: A Bridge to Comprehensive Care and System Reform

After many months of negotiation and debate, we were successful in negotiating an agreement that maintains health care coverage for current GAMC enrollees. However, there are significant problems with the compromise agreement. With the passage of the federal health care reform bill, we have the opportunity to provide comprehensive, statewide coverage to very low-income Minnesotans through an early opt-into Medical Assistance (MA). The compromise law on GAMC is a critical bridge to a better option.

Our first legislative solution, Senate File 2168, was undoubtedly the most fiscally-responsible means of restoring health care coverage to GAMC recipients, while still instituting system reforms and cost-cutting measures. Although Governor Pawlenty’s proposal to auto-enroll GAMC enrollees into Minnesota Care would have been more expensive and would have imposed additional costs and coverage caps on a population that earns less than $8,000 per year, he vetoed our bill. Our attempt to override did not garner any Republican support, even though the vast majority of them had voted for the bill.

The compromise legislation, enacted just before GAMC disenrollment commenced, preserves health care and prescription drug coverage for the GAMC population and protects the Health Care Access Fund (HCAF) for MinnesotaCare recipients. The compromise maintained the GAMC program in its current form until June 1st, at which time the program will operate by providing lump sum payments to hospitals. The hospitals will then use a managed care approach to form Coordinating Care Organizations (CCOs) to provide services to GAMC patients. Drug coverage is maintained as a fee for service—a critical component for GAMC recipients, many of who are mentally ill or suffer from chronic diseases.

While the new agreement maintains the safety net, it does come with very high expectations for hospitals, which are being asked to continue providing care despite decreased reimbursement. Initially, all but one hospital declined to become CCOs, and it was only after the Department of Human Services “reinterpreted” the new law to limit the number of patients each hospital would have to take that three additional metro-area hospitals agreed to sign on.

In the final budget agreement, we successfully negotiated the inclusion of rural hospitals in the terms established by DHS and provided an additional $10 million to their uncompensated care pool, bringing that total to $30 million for reimbursement for care provided in hospitals that do not become CCOs.

Even for the short-term, the revised GAMC program is barely sustainable. Hospitals are being asked to provide care, with less money, and enrollees have to navigate a system that asks large hospitals to coordinate their much-needed preventive care. The rudimentary reforms in GAMC will be hampered by under funding and geographic disparity.

I am monitoring closely implementation of the revised GAMC program and will be visiting providers and enrollees in Greater Minnesota to best understand the issues with implementation. Early reports suggest the concerns my colleagues and I shared with the administration prior to final passage are being realized and we will continue to pursue the transfer of GAMC patients into early MA.

A far superior option is available to us as a result of the passage of the federal health care reform bill. Because Minnesota provides coverage for very low income Minnesotans with state funds, we are one of 11 states able to transfer enrollees into Medical Assistance and earn federal matching funds.

Early MA provides stability for those getting care and predictability for providers. Most importantly, it provides us with an important opportunity to bring broad system reforms to improve care and reduce costs for everyone. Foregoing this opportunity would be a strategic failure.

We fought hard to include the early MA opt-in in the final budget agreement and it will be established in state law beginning on July 1, 2010. This option is fully funded in the budget signed by Governor Pawlenty. The Governor can now opt in by signing an executive order beginning on July 1, 2010.

By opting into early MA, a decision for Governor Pawlenty or his successor before January 15, 2011, Minnesota will earn federal matching funds. The early MA option is paid for with $1.4 billion in federal funding that is leveraged by $188 million in state dollars – a $7 to $1 ratio. After three years, the state share will disappear entirely and the federal government will pay 100 percent of the cost of coverage.

Reducing the ranks of the uninsured is a cost saver for insured Minnesota families as it eliminates the “hidden tax”, paid in the form of higher premiums to cover uncompensated care. The benefit of the state spending in this area is will create 22,000 jobs, generate $2.7 billion in business activity, and produce $984 million in salaries and wages.

With the passage of federal health insurance reform in April, I know that the GAMC compromise will have a short but important role in Minnesota. I support the early MA, along with many advocacy groups and provider organizations. I hope that you will join me in urging our current, or future, Governor to adopt this measure.

Standing With Nurses

Last Friday I joined nurses and Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher to stand with 12,000 Twin Cities nurses who will conduct a one-day strike for patient safety on Thursday, June 10, 2010.

As a policy maker, I have always strived to reform and improve health care in Minnesota because that means a healthier population. I firmly believe a critical part of that health care delivery is strong and effective nursing workforce.

Health care in Minnesota is experiencing a lot change and is under a lot of pressure.
Reforms being implemented means change in the delivery of care. Our aging population brings a larger demand of patients. At the same time, we are seeing a shortage of nurses and other health care professionals widen. Amidst this pressure, nurses are expressing their concerns for the safety of the patients they care for everyday.

Concern for patients’ safety has always been a top concern for nurses. I know this because I’ve seen it first hand for decades. In 1984, when I was in college, nurses went on strike because of their concern for their patients. In 2001, nurses negotiated with hospitals on the number of patients that each registered nurse could care for to ensure each patient received the attention they needed. In 2008 and 2009 they came to the Legislature and worked with us to put in statute patient/provider ratios to go further to ensure patients were receiving the quality care they deserve.

I’ve worked with hundreds of nurses in many hospitals. I know how difficult a decision it is to strike, because it means leaving their patients, even for one day. But they have the courage and strength to do this in order to stand up for themselves and for the safety of their patients. I am proud to be standing with them.

To watch the entire press conferences visit http://tiny.cc/tjmfj.

Session Mid Point

Dear Mighty Citizens,

The 2010 legislative session is half over. We have been wrestling with the challenges of a weakened economy and larger state deficit. The first six weeks have been a whirlwind as we have worked to improve the lives of Minnesotans and make Minnesota better.

This session we have already:
• Helped put tens of thousands of Minnesotans back to work
• Fixed 1/3 of Minnesota’s $1 billion budget shortfall
• Restored health care for 85,000 poor, sick Minnesotans
• Aided small businesses competing in a global economy
• Made Minnesota’s excellent election system even stronger

In particular, I want to mention our work on health care. After almost a year of intense work and collaboration, we successfully passed a bill to restore General Assistance Medical Care for Minnesotans in need. The solution is far from perfect, but it ensures that poor and sick Minnesotan can receive health care when they get sick. Maintaining this basic, moral objective was central to our work and I continue working to strengthen the compromise this session, taking advantage of the opportunities in the federal health package.

As we work to close our budget deficit, we will be closely monitoring the federal health care reform legislation and how it interacts with state law. By passing a law to conform to federal health care reform we can capture critical federal dollars to reduce the ranks of the uninsured and improve the quality and affordability of care we deliver in Minnesota.

Although we continue to face serious challenges, good news is on the horizon. Minnesota’s economy is getting stronger. In January, employers added 17,200 new jobs in our state - the highest one-month job gain since 2005. We’re working hard to keep that momentum going.

Working hard, we will move Minnesota closer to long-term economic recovery. Thank you for the opportunity to serve. If you would like to learn more about our legislative efforts, please visit my blog. I encourage you to share your point of view with me.

Warmly,
Erin




Jobs Bill Part I: Capital Investment (HF 2700)

The Minnesota House has passed a jobs-targeted bonding bill capable of putting nearly 20,000 Minnesotans back to work. The bill makes strategic investments in high-priority, shovel-ready infrastructure improvements.

Jobs Bill Part II: Tax Reform (HF 2695)

Continuing our focus on the economy and job creation, we passed common sense tax reforms that will create thousands of new jobs in bioscience, manufacturing, construction, and the emerging clean energy economy.

General Assistance Medical Care (HF 2680)

Working together, we passed a solution that restores basic health care for 85,000 of Minnesota’s poorest, sickest people, and prevents 20,000 working adults from losing MinnesotaCare coverage.

Bipartisan Small Business Agenda

The bipartisan Small Business Caucus is taking action to make Minnesota a better place to do business. Eight bills backed by the Caucus would free up needed capital, cut red tape, and better-connect small businesses with existing state resources. Many of these reforms come directly from the ideas of Minnesota small business owners who responded to our small business survey.

Strategic Budget Cuts (HF 1671)

The Minnesota House resolved 1/3 of the state’s $1 billion budget shortfall. Many of these cuts are difficult, but we have cut less than half of the Governor’s proposed local government cuts which will preserve jobs and limit property tax increases. Going forward, we need a balanced strategy to budget for the things Minnesotans value: quality education, health care and a 21st Century transportation system.

Common Sense Election Reforms (HF 3108)

Acting on lessons learned during the 2008 U.S. Senate election recount, lawmakers passed bipartisan election reforms to make our voting system the most reliable and efficient in the nation - while helping Minnesotans cast their ballots more easily.

Capital Bonding

My colleague Rep Paul Gardner shared the following blog about Capital Bonding and, with thanks to him, I would like to share it with you.

Every two years the Legislature and Governor work on this bill to provide funding for publicly owned buildings, property, and land. In particular, state agencies have buildings or property that are in need of repair, renovation, or replacement. Our state colleges and universities tend to have a large request because they have a lot of buildings. To be "bondable" the project has to be publicly owned, be of state or regional significance, and be a capital project--meaning it has to be "bricks and mortar" and not for ongoing operation costs. The state raises money for these projects by selling general obligation bonds on the bond market. The state then pays the debt service to pay off the bonds over time.

Many people have written me assuming that when the Legislature passes a bonding bill that the amount of the bill is actually added dollar-for-dollar to the budget. For example, the Senate just passed a $1 billion bill and someone said that they added $1 billion to the deficit. That's not the case. In our current budget, we will now just pay the debt service on the $1 billion, which is in the tens of millions or so.

The state agency Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) starts the process by asking public entities to submit requests. Usually the requests are something like five times greater than funding available, so MMB winnows them down and eventually the Governor's office submits a proposal to the Legislature with projects he wants. This year the Governor submitted $685 million worth of projects and those projects were mostly for state agencies and higher education institutions. The House and Senate are likely to approve a bill in the $1 billion range. According to staff, this difference of $315 million would increase our debt service for FY2010 by zero and by just $2.5 million in FY2011.

The bonding bill is often touted as a jobs bill. It is true that the private sector creates most jobs, but in bad economic times when the private sector is not hiring, government can spur job growth by spending on public projects that are generally needed anyway. (This is a basic tenet of Keynesian economics.) Right now, construction costs have declined considerably so many of us believe that if we have a larger bonding bill this year it does two things: we get more projects done for less money and we can spur additional job growth albeit temporarily. A general rule of thumb is that for every $100,000 in bonding projects, you get one job. (Someone gets paid for doing the work, but there are also costs to fuel, supplies, construction materials, etc.)

So if we pass a $1 billion bonding bill instead of the Governor's proposed $685 million (a difference of $315 million), we could see the creation of 3,150 additional jobs for just an additional $2.5 million during the next fiscal year. At least in the short term, that's $793 per job when we need to put people to work. WOW.

How do we figure out what an acceptable debt level is? Well, there is no law that limits our debt level, but several decades ago, Governor Perpich used three percent of the general fund budget as a guideline and the state has pretty much stuck to that level.

Moody's (an agency that sets bond ratings) said this about our debt management: "Minnesota's debt levels have historically been a neutral-to-positive part of the state's credit profile. The state's debt issuance is highly centralized and controlled, with the bulk of bonds issued carrying the full faith and credit pledge of the state. Minnesota's metrics have tended to place the state about average or slightly better among the states for debt issuance. Moody's 2009 State Debt Medians Report shows that Minnesota ranks 25th in debt per capita and 32nd in debt as a percent of personal income, largely a result of the state's increasing personal income levels."

Caucuses and Session!

Dear Mighty Citizens,

On Tuesday, February 2nd I encourage you to take part in precinct caucuses.

Precinct caucuses bring neighborhoods together and offer all of us the chance to weigh in on the issues important to our community, state and country. Not only are caucuses the first step in choosing our elected officials, they also begin the process of forming party platforms and setting priorities.

To find where your precinct caucus is located you can visit the Minnesota Secretary of State website: www.sos.state.mn.us . The website displays the times and locations of the Democratic, Republican, Independence, Constitution, and Green Party caucuses.

Two days after caucuses, the 2010 legislative session begins. As you have done throughout the interim, please continue to stay active and to contact me with your ideas and input. Your active role in our political process helps me effectively represent our communities at the State Capitol.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve. It remains a great honor and privilege.

Fixing GAMC: We Can Do This.

At the end of this past legislative session, Governor Pawlenty vetoed funding for General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC), which provides health care to 70,000 (about 35,000 in any given month) of the poorest and sickest Minnesotans each year. Recipients on GAMC earn less than $7,500 per year and about 80% of those served have serious mental health issues. GAMC funding is set to expire on March 1, 2010.

Since session adjourned, we have been working on a solution that will preserve basic health care for the most vulnerable Minnesotans. In July, Health Policy committee members visited nine safety net hospitals all over the state to hear about the need to continue providing basic health care benefits to this medically needy population. Since August, we have held meetings with hospitals, health plans, providers, unions, counties, representatives of the faith community, safety net organizations, grass roots organizations, mental health advocates, and many others to discuss policy and financing alternatives for GAMC.

After a lot of listening, we are moving forward with our proposal to temporarily restore GAMC for 16 months in order to build a bridge to national health care reform. Temporary GAMC will offer access to basic care for those currently enrolled, protect vital health care jobs, and restore the solvency of the Health Care Access Fund through 2012. Funded entirely without new taxes, the solution relies largely on cost saving reforms, maximizing existing state and federal health care funding streams, and reduced provider reimbursement rates to pay for a pared down GAMC.

You can view our proposal online: http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/committee.asp?comm=86118.

This plan is not perfect, and there are issues we need to continue working on, but inaction is not an option. In the coming weeks before session, we will continue to work collaboratively with health care stakeholders as well as with the Governor and Republicans on a bipartisan solution that is in the best interest of all Minnesotans.

This morning, Lori Sturdavent writes about the session ahead and its challenges. Read it here http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/79092092.html?elr=KArksc8P:Pc:UthPacyPE7iUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr

Next step in this process will come on Monday, December 14th when we hold a public hearing to discuss various GAMC proposals. As always, I look forward to your input and perspective.

General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC)

Casey Selix of MinnPost wrote this story which digs into the complexity of GAMC and efforts to rebuild health coverage for 35,000 sick and poor Minnesotans.

Read it here:

http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2009/10/15/12504/pawlenty_sliced_minnesotas_medical_care_for_the_poor_and_now_times_running_out

Early Childhoood Opportunity

Legislative Leadership Institute on Child Development Research and Policy

Dear Mighty Citizens,

I wanted to share with you some information about a legislative conference I will be attending later this month. From Monday, November 9 through Wednesday, November 11 I will be attending the Legislative Leadership Institute on Child Development Research and Policy, sponsored by the Council of State Governments Midwestern Office and The Minnesota Community Foundation.

The Institute is designed to build knowledge and understanding of the science of brain development, and how the experiences of children ages birth to three affect development, health and social outcomes across the life span.

It’s an honor to be nominated by my colleagues to attend the Institute and I am eager to learn more from these nationally known researchers about how early experiences build the brain’s architecture and develop a weak or strong foundation for life.


Here is a list of the primary presenters: Richard Chase, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Wilder Foundation. Dr. Chase will unveil the findings from the Minnesota Community Foundation-commissioned report on the demographics and key indicators of infant and toddler well being in Minnesota; Meggan Gunnar, Ph.D., University of Minnesota Distinguished McKnight Professor in Child Development, international expert on the effect of stress on brain development, and member of the National Scientific Council of the Developing Child, Harvard University; Robert Anda, MD, MS, senior researcher, Center for Disease Control, and Co-Principal Investigator of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACE). The ACE is one of the largest scientific research studies of its kind, analyzing the relationships between multiple categories of childhood trauma and health and behavioral outcomes later in life; and J. Ronald Lally, Ed.D., Co-Director of the Center for Child and Family Studies at WestEd, an educational research and development laboratory.o. Dr. Lally directed the Syracuse University Family Development Research Program, a longitudinal study of the impact of early intervention on low income children and families.


I look forward to reporting back to you about the conference and ways we can improve early childhood in Minnesota.

Health Care Choices

This interactive graph breaks down the U.S. House health care proposal.

The Past. The Future.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_______________________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 9, 2009

Below is the text of the letter from Senator Edward M. Kennedy referenced in the President’s address to a Joint Session of Congress.

May 12, 2009



Dear Mr. President,

I wanted to write a few final words to you to express my gratitude for your repeated personal kindnesses to me – and one last time, to salute your leadership in giving our country back its future and its truth.

On a personal level, you and Michelle reached out to Vicki, to our family and me in so many different ways. You helped to make these difficult months a happy time in my life.

You also made it a time of hope for me and for our country.

When I thought of all the years, all the battles, and all the memories of my long public life, I felt confident in these closing days that while I will not be there when it happens, you will be the President who at long last signs into law the health care reform that is the great unfinished business of our society. For me, this cause stretched across decades; it has been disappointed, but never finally defeated. It was the cause of my life. And in the past year, the prospect of victory sustained me-and the work of achieving it summoned my energy and determination.

There will be struggles – there always have been – and they are already underway again. But as we moved forward in these months, I learned that you will not yield to calls to retreat - that you will stay with the cause until it is won. I saw your conviction that the time is now and witnessed your unwavering commitment and understanding that health care is a decisive issue for our future prosperity. But you have also reminded all of us that it concerns more than material things; that what we face is above all a moral issue; that at stake are not just the details of policy, but fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our country.

And so because of your vision and resolve, I came to believe that soon, very soon, affordable health coverage will be available to all, in an America where the state of a family’s health will never again depend on the amount of a family’s wealth. And while I will not see the victory, I was able to look forward and know that we will – yes, we will – fulfill the promise of health care in America as a right and not a privilege.

In closing, let me say again how proud I was to be part of your campaign- and proud as well to play a part in the early months of a new era of high purpose and achievement. I entered public life with a young President who inspired a generation and the world. It gives me great hope that as I leave, another young President inspires another generation and once more on America’s behalf inspires the entire world.

So, I wrote this to thank you one last time as a friend- and to stand with you one last time for change and the America we can become.

At the Denver Convention where you were nominated, I said the dream lives on.

And I finished this letter with unshakable faith that the dream will be fulfilled for this generation, and preserved and enlarged for generations to come.

With deep respect and abiding affection,

[Ted]

Send Off for Health Care

Dear Mighty Citizens,

I want to thank all of you who attended our inspiring and thoughtful
Send Off for Health Care meeting this past Tuesday at Mt. Zion Temple.
For those of you who weren't able to attend, I want to provide you with
some of the information that was discussed.

The purpose of our Send Off for Health Care was to hear about from real
Minnesotans about their challenges with our broken health care system,
to discuss how federal health insurance reform can solve these problems,
and use our productive, fact-based dialogue to together advocate for the
kind of health insurance reform Minnesotans and Americans need.

Several people shared stories about how our broken health care system
isn't working. We heard from a man who is currently uninsured. Both he
and his wife work, but neither of their employers offers health
insurance and it is too expensive for him to purchase. A nurse told
several stories of patients she had worked with weren't able to afford
the preventative care they needed to maintain adequate health. And a man
discussed how the rapid increased cost of health care for his employees
crushed his small business.

A panel of health care experts including, Rep. Tom Huntley, Pastor
Grant Stevenson, Dr. Lynn Blewett, State Heath Access Data Assistance
Center, and Dr. Mick Belzer, Medical Director of HCMC, discussed these
problems and shared their perspective on why federal health insurance
reform must be passed now. Later, we also heard from U.S. Rep. Betty
McCollum and Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman about the need for health
insurance reform.

The panel answered questions about health care reform that had been
filled out by those attending. There were so many good questions, that
we were unable to get to all of them. However, I will put out another
update soon that answers the questions that we were unable to get to at
the meeting.

Our productive meeting ended with a call to action. Everyone in
attendance was asked to send off a postcard to our congressional
delegation that showed their support for federal health insurance
reform. The post card read:

Dear Senator Klobuchar, Senator Franken, and Congresswoman McCollum,

Our nation is in crisis. Our health care system is broken. More than 47
million of our
fellow citizens don’t have health insurance; those who are fortunate
enough to have insurance are denied coverage for treatments because of
preexisting condition exclusions and other bureaucratic hurdles. The
cost of health coverage continues to grow at an unsustainable rate,
putting individuals, families, and small businesses in peril. The time
to act is now, and I am counting on you! Together I believe we can meet
this challenge. Please do all you can to ensure all Americans have
access to quality, affordable health care.

Sincerely,
____________

Thank you all so much for staying engaged in these important times for
our state and country. As always, call, e-mail, or write me with your
questions, concerns and input and I will get back to you.

Keep Fighting!
Rep. Erin Murphy

Health Care Reality Check

Wow! There is a gob of misinformation about the health care proposals in Washington. It is a challenge to cut through the mire of details, facts and proposals. Add the hyperbole intended to confuse and we have quite a task before us. I am confident that we can work through legitimate concerns. Affordable health care is the goal. Check out this site.

Share Your Health Care Story

Health care reform on a local, state and federal level is vital. Across our district, our community and our state health care costs continue to rise and more individuals are lacking insurance. I ask that you be a part of health care reform. Sign up below to tell me your health care story - why are you interested in reform. You can chose to make your story private (between my office and your home) or public (the only information that will be shared if public will be your first name, city and your story). These stories will help us work on legislation that can truly make a difference for our state! Click HERE to share your story.

~Erin Murphy~
State Representative