Tuesday, February 27 is precinct caucus night in Minnesota. Precinct caucuses are a chance for Minnesotans to participate in their local elections and where grassroots politics begin. They are first in a series of meetings where political parties may endorse candidates for all levels of elected office, select delegates to attend state and local party conventions, and set their party platforms. Minnesota’s presidential primary is held the following week on March 5th.

Precinct caucuses are run and organized by the political parties. Information on the location of major party caucuses can be found online at the Secretary of State’s 2024 Caucus Finder tool. I encourage you to consider attending caucus and engaging in the civic process.

LeadingAge Minnesota, a respected advocacy group for Minnesota’s aging population, recently named me as its Public Official of the Year. During the 2023 session, I helped secure a deal for nursing homes to receive $300 million. This package includes direct grants, facility rate increases, and a workforce incentive fund that adds up to about an average of $1.1 million for every nursing home in the state. With Minnesota nursing homes facing a dire staffing crisis, this additional funding serves as a critical lifeline that will keep Minnesota nursing homes open. If it were not for this funding package, Minnesota could have lost up to 40 nursing homes.  

As I have been out in the community, I’ve heard about the positive impact of this new funding. In particular, I am glad to hear how the rate increases and workforce incentives are translating into higher wages and benefits for our long-term care professionals. Click here to read more.

I was recently invited to Capitol Connections presented by MN Cable to discuss last session, as well as issues that we could see this session. To watch the interview, click here.

The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Task Force held its final meeting on Friday, Feb. 16, where members  previewed crucial recommendations to reshape EMS services across Minnesota. The Task Force’s findings are based on information gathered during the interim at listening sessions throughout the state. This includes a regional hearing held in Elbow Lake on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

During Friday’s meeting, Task Force members highlighted staffing shortages, declining volunteerism, and stagnant reimbursement rates as primary concerns. To combat these challenges, Representative Backer and I proposed several key recommendations, including:

• Directing the Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board (EMSRB) to create, implement, and report a Statewide EMS Plan to the legislature at least every 10 years; 
• Requiring the EMSRB to recommend ways the legislature can improve access, delivery, and effectiveness of the state’s EMS delivery system;
• Allowing non-emergency medical technicians (EMT)/emergency medical responder (EMR) drivers that meet training requirements to request a waiver for Basic Life Support (BLS) driver services to ease staffing concerns;
• Focusing state funding to address recruitment and retention through a hybrid system, which uses paid and volunteer EMS personnel; and
• Funding “Sprint Medic Model” pilot programs, which would dispatch a paramedic to determine the level of care needed before an ambulance arrives.

Access to Emergency Medical Services is vital to Greater Minnesota but providing these services is often more challenging. That is why I am so appreciative of the EMS Task Force’s focus on this issue, and I am also grateful to the Minnesotans who engaged in the listening sessions across the state. The feedback we’ve received has allowed us to recognize what is driving a lot of the crisis today. With the problems identified, we now need to act this session on the solutions. I look forward to continuing our work on this important issue on a bipartisan basis. To read more, click here.

With Gratitude,

Senator Jordan Rasmusson

District 9