State Senator Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake) and members of the Senate Republican Majority announced their early priorities on Tuesday as the officially reconvened for the 2019 legislative session. Aside from a balanced, responsible state budget, Senate Republicans will focus on reforms that help Minnesota families: improving child care affordability and access, supporting individuals and families struggling with mental health issues, eliminating waste and fraud within state government, and aligning Minnesota’s tax code with recent federal changes.

Senate Republicans will build upon their recent success in lowering health insurance premiums by offering new proposals to make health care billing more transparent, let patients to shop around for the best prices, and allow you to have a direct contract with your doctor without paying exorbitant health insurance premiums.

“Health care is incredibly complex so it is no surprise that decades of government ‘fixes’ have failed,” said Sen. Benson. “We will reverse the damage of government intervention by putting patients back in control, so you can have a healthy, personal relationship with your doctor.”

The full list of the first five priorities unveiled by Senate Republicans are as follows:

• Supporting mental health – Senate Republicans promise a stronger legislative response to the growing problem families are facing regarding mental health, especially in our schools and on the farm.
• Making child care more accessible and affordable – During statewide listening sessions over the summer, Senate Republicans heard from parents struggling to find and afford child care. New legislation will address the regulatory overreach that causes these problems and encourage new child care providers to start up.
• Lowering health care costs – Senate Republicans will build upon their recent success in lowering health insurance premiums by offering new proposals that allow patients more freedom to choose their doctor, shop around for the best value for their health care dollar, and make health care billing more transparent.
• Making government more effective and accountable, and eliminating fraud – Senate Republicans will introduce several proposals to hold government more accountable and stop wasting money in the areas of child care fraud, MNLARS and other statewide IT failures.
• Making our tax code simpler and fairer – In addition to making tax filing easier by conforming to the new federal tax law, the Senate Republicans’ proposal will simplify the tax code and reduce taxes for Minnesota families.

“These early priorities reflect the most common concerns I heard while talking to constituents this summer and fall,” Sen. Benson. “I am excited to get back to work and put their ideas and suggestions into practice. We accomplished so much during the last two years, I can’t wait to build on that success.”

Sen. Benson will continue to serve as a Deputy Majority Leader, as chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Finance and Policy Committee, and as vice chair of the Senate Rules Committee. In addition, she will serve on the committees on Finance and Human Services Reform Finance and Policy.

Sen. Benson can be reached by phone at 651-296-3219, by email at Sen.Michelle.Benson@senate.mn; or at her office in room 3109 of the Minnesota Senate Building, 95 University Ave, St Paul.