Less than ten days after the opening of the legislative session, the Minnesota State Senate voted Thursday to pass its first two pieces of legislation, both with bipartisan support.

“In my first votes for bill passage off the Senate floor, I am proud to have voted in favor of health insurance premium reform and relief, as well as tax relief. I expect these bills to be only the first in a series of meaningful reform and relief packages aimed at easing the burden on families across our communities. Having substantive and spirited discussions on these major issues early on are to the benefit of Minnesotans who simply want their communities to remain great places to live, to work, and to go to school,” said Sen. Jerry Relph (R-St. Cloud).

The health insurance premium relief package, known as the 2017 Health Care Emergency Aid and Access Act, offers premium relief to thousands of Minnesotans who purchase health insurance on the individual market and have been faced with skyrocketing premiums as a result of Obamacare. The package also offers a series of reforms, paving the way for a discussion in the coming weeks on larger, long-term reforms to the insurance market.

The tax conformity bill aims to close gaps between the state and federal tax code, conforming to changes at the federal level. It contains $21 million in tax relief, including relief for individuals behind on their mortgages, an elimination of the marriage penalty in the Working Family Tax Credit phase-out, and a provision to extend the statute of limitations for certain veterans to collect combat pay.

Sen. Relph represents Senate District 14, which includes portions of Benton, Stearns, and Sherburne Counties. He is serving his first term in the Minnesota Senate.