On Thursday, the Minnesota Senate unanimously passed legislation to provide $20 million in grants for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) research and $5 million for ALS caregiving. The disease is commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the Hall of Fame baseball player who died of ALS. The effort began after Senator David Tomassoni (DFL-Chisholm) was diagnosed with ALS last year. 

“Today, I was happy to rise in support of my friend and colleague Senator Tomassoni,” Senator Paul Gazelka (R-East Gull Lake) said. “For a long time, Senator Tomassoni has been the glue that has held the Senate together. Since his diagnosis, David has been a champion for those who have ALS. Even as he suffers personally, he has been committed to helping others which is heroic. I’m happy to join him and my colleagues to be part of the solution that goes after this terrible disease.”

S.F. 3372 gives $20 million to the Office of Higher Education to award competitive grants to conduct research into the prevention, treatment, causes, and cures of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It also includes $5 million for ALS caregivers.
 

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and there is no known cure. It ultimately robs people of their ability to walk, talk, and eventually breathe. At any given time roughly 450 Minnesotans are living with the disease with the average lifespan of someone diagnosed being two to five years. 

There are six clinics in Minnesota that are currently working on ALS research: Essentia Health (Duluth), HealthPartners (St. Paul), Hennepin Healthcare (Minneapolis), Mayo Clinic (Rochester), the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis), and the VA Medical Center (Minneapolis).