Legislative Update - January 2007

Legislative Session Begins – The 2007’ Legislative session has begun with many new faces and assignments.  With 35 new state Representatives, 18 new state Senators, many new legislative staff, and an expansion to approximately 60 committees and subcommittees, we have begun an extensive process in attempting to meet and speak with all new members and staff. 

MAPE is working with both House and Senate leadership in the approval of a salary supplement for state employees.  We are hopeful to get additional funding for MAPE employees salaries without actually affecting the overall agency budgets.  The lack of increased agency funding over the past several years has required agencies to do more with less.  This has left many MAPE employees in a position to take on additional workloads for positions that were never filled or for functions that were never funded.

There have been similar bills introduced (S.F. 46 and H.F. 42)in both the House and the Senate dealing with continuing appropriations that would deal with the potential of any future government shutdown and the effect it could have on the MAPE membership.  The bills keep existing appropriations in effect at the base level through the fiscal year ending June 30th of the next even-numbered year.  MAPE does not support bills being introduced that set aside certain agencies as essential and others as nonessential in determining continuing appropriations. 

The Senate has introduced a bill that MAPE strongly supports.  S.F.2 introduced by Senator Berglin is a large extensive bill that in part requires a plan for universal health care, establishes premium rate restrictions, increases reimbursement for critical access dental providers, requires an interoperable electronic health records system, implements an intensive care management program, removes insurance barriers for children in Minnesota Care, eliminates Minnesota Care premiums for members of the military and their families and affirms that every resident of Minnesota has the right to affordable health care.  Additional bills with relating to health care and supportive of various aspects of Senator Berglin’s bill are also popping up and will be listed under Legislative Action on the front page of the web.

MAPE will also be monitoring and supporting S.F. 1 and H.F.3 relating to taxation.  They increase state aids to education, modify school district levies, increase homestead market value credits and increase city and county aid.

GRC – The GRC has set February 14th as the date for MAPE Day on the Hill.  The GRC is preparing talking points for all participants that deal with the legislative priorities set by MAPE.  Please encourage all members to participate in the MAPE Day on the Hill.  You can register by going to the MAPE PAC web site and clicking on “MAPE Day on the Hill”,e-mailing Kendal Killian at kkillian@mape.org or calling (651) 287-8768.  Legislators are heavily influenced by their constituents and need to hear from them.

MAPE will be working diligently to turn back legislation that may likely surface including any Information Technology or other position outsourcing, any attacks on your pension and retirement system and any legislation conflicting with your rights to the collective bargaining process.  MAPE’s 2007 Legislative Positions are available on the MAPE web site at www.mape.org or feel free to contact any one of us.

Cards, Emails, Letters and Phone Calls - We urge every member to take a few minutes out of their day to visit MAPE.org and the Legislative Action.  We will continue to update the web site with legislation supported by MAPE in conjunction with MAPE’s Legislative Positions.  We will make it very easy to learn about the issues mentioned above and to help you contact your legislator.  Also, please encourage your co-workers to call and write their legislators too.  Please stand up and fight back!  I can not tell you how important it is for Legislators to hear from MAPE employees and their family members.  You can make a difference.