News Updates

Stay in the know with women's news in this week's Legislative session!  For more infomation about a particular bill or proposal, simply click the link to read more! 

HEALTH CARE

The decision to keep, rather than terminate a pregnancy would become easier, thanks to a bill sponsored by Rep. Mary Ellen Otremba.  HF2640, known as the Minnesota Pregnant Women and Parent Support Act, would eliminate prenatal insurance waiting lists, discontinue allowing health care providers to consider pregnancy a preexisting condition, establish a parenting support grant program, create a pregnancy support hotline, and provide a range of other information and options for expectant mothers.  The bill's critics, however, worry that the programs would rely too much on state funding, rather than  community support. 

 EDUCATION

Minnesota could now have more control over funding for education, if a bill sponsored by Rep. Pat Garafalo is passed.  HF1812, the Omnibus Supplemental Budget Bill, would allow the state to opt out of the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act.  Though the law, passed in 2002, increased federal funding to schools by 24%, it also included many unfunded mandates and sanctions.  Critics say since then, federal funding has not matched educational demands, and that underperforming schools will suffer further if nothing is done to correct the issue.  If presented the opportunity, Minnesota citizens would rather pay more for education if they could have local control, which would be distributed by the state, rather than by the federal government, if HF1812 is signed into law.  Critics of the bill raise concerns that now the state faces a $1 billion deficit, and a change of this nature could mean more budget issues.