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Scho




Hello from St. Paul,

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To address the critical challenges being faced by rural ambulance services in Greater Minnesota, I have co-authored legislation to provide needed funding relief. The bill establishes aid for licensed ambulances, making a onetime appropriation of $120 million for this program.

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Emergency medical services teams from around the state struggle to maintain operations. It has little to do with their ability to manage budgets, and much to do with the state?s inability to fix reimbursement rates to these organizations.

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Severe reimbursement shortfalls, aging workforces, unsustainable staffing models and increased operating costs are forcing problems in local EMS services, creating a crisis that has life-threatening consequences for families and communities. In 2022, statewide reported operations deficit for ground ambulance service costs was $122 million.

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In southwestern Minnesota, there are 42 EMS districts, and at least 24 are operating in the red.

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Our EMS teams are largely made up of volunteers who respond during times of crisis to get their neighbors to the hospital. They do their jobs without fanfare and until emergency assistance is needed, the public does not see the challenges with response times and aging equipment.

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This proposal is designed for a one time-funding infusion, recognizing the state faces a budget surplus for the remaining of the budget cycle, but a budget deficit in the next term. Even if this bill is signed into law, lawmakers must find a long-term solution for rural EMS teams.

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With so many ambulance services operating in the red, we are in a dangerous situation. This shot-in-the-arm approach gives local EMS extra dollars to work with as lawmakers work on a long-term fix. I?m very pleased that this bipartisan bill is moving forward, and hopefully we will soon support our ambulance providers with some of the expenses they face.

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The bill was recently approved by the Minnesota House Health Finance and Policy Committee, and now heads to the House Tax Committee for further debate.

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*HELPING COUNTIES WITH MEMORIAL DAY EXPENSES*

Recently, the State Government Finance and Policy Committee heard my bill that removes monetary caps for counties as they observe Memorial Day.

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The idea for the plan was brought to me by a Lincoln County resident. This bill would eliminate the current limit in statute on county boards appropriating funds to observe Memorial Day (currently $3,500 annually) or to military service organizations to defray expenses of Memorial Day exercises (currently $300 annually).

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A testifier on that bill stated that it?s more common for military service organizations to receive contributions from county boards in rural areas than in the metro to help defray costs.

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The committee approved the bill, and it was added as an amendment to a complementary bill heading to the House Floor.

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*TAX CLEAN UP BILL FOR SMALL EMPLOYERS APRROVED*

This week, the Minnesota House approved a technical fix to the Net Operating Loss (NOL) provision in the state?s tax code. Last year, a law was passed reducing the NOL deduction from 80% to 70% of taxable income for small businesses.? The legislative intent was to make this provision effective for tax year 2024. However, the 2023 tax bill contained an effective date of tax year 2023, creating tax increases for those impacted on this year?s tax returns.

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Both the House and Senate agreed during interim last summer that the NOL provision needed to be fixed right away when the 2024 session began. Unfortunately, these provisions did not move forward until this week.?

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Its unfortunate small businesses were not allowed to utilize their benefits that were passed into law last year. Yet at the same time, the state isn?t able to balance its budget and is seeing deficits in its future. If we held government to the same standard as business, we would have had a different outcome.

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I?m glad we were finally able to get this approved and look forward to continue helping our small employers throughout this session.

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*STUDENT RESOURCES OFFICER BILL SIGNED INTO LAW*

Dozens of law enforcement agencies pulled student resources officers (SROs) from schools across Minnesota after a law change last year changed how school resource officers are allowed to de-escalate aggressive or violent situations.

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After working to secure bipartisan support, the Minnesota House approved an SRO fix that law enforcement supported. However, the Senate amended the proposal which caused a temporary delay while both bodies worked out the final details.

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The bill has now been signed into law by the governor, and hopefully, all schools that lost SROs at the start of the school year will now see them return.

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*LOCAL VISITORS*

?Physical Therapists Day? took place at the Capitol recently. I was pleased to meet with Jackie Lacek, who is a physical therapist from Hendricks. I was also able to meet with constituents from the Minnesota Farm Bureau, members of local electrical co-ops, and members of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities. Thank you for stopping by!

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Just a reminder, if you are ever in St. Paul and have an issue to discuss, I?d be happy to meet with you. Please email [email protected] or call 651.296.5505 to schedule a visit.

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Have a good weekend,

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Joe









209 State Office Bldg.
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155
651-296-5505
[email protected]







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