As you know, there are a number of important issues facing the state. The Senate majority is taking these issues seriously; in fact, we’ve set up a number of working groups where people can bounce ideas off each other and share feedback they have received from constituents. Senators often get great ideas from the people we represent, but sometimes those ideas get lost in the shuffle because there is so much going on. These working groups are designed to emphasize the ideas we’ve heard from you.
Our working groups are focused on things like mental health, child care costs, health insurance, and opioid addiction.
In fact, this week the legislature unveiled the principles behind our forthcoming bill aimed at curbing the opioid addiction crisis that is paralyzing communities across the state and the nation. Opiate addiction is tearing Minnesota families apart and is threatening to completely overwhelm our public health system. Overdose deaths in Minnesota have increased by more than 600% since the year 2000, with over 400 Minnesotans succumbing to their addiction in 2017. The time has come to take action.
The bill will be officially introduced next week, but I wanted to share a few highlights of what will be in it.
- Significant funding for county-administered social services to help kids who have been subjected to child abuse or neglect due to parental addiction.
- Prescription monitoring program to prevent overprescribing and “doctor shopping.”
- Public awareness, prevention, and education programs.
- Statewide access to effective treatment and recovery services.
- Continuing education for opioid prescribers.
- Research and development of evidence-based treatment programs.
- Stronger reporting by pharmaceutical companies.
In order to accomplish these goals, the bill creates an Opiate Stewardship Advisory Council, made up of legislators and medical and health experts, tasked with developing a statewide effort to curb opioid addiction.
Funding for the bill will come from an increase in licensing fees on opioid manufacturers and distributors. Counties will receive half of the funding and the Opiate Stewardship Advisory Council will receive the other half.
I also held several meetings with constituents, including several from the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus. As a strong 2nd Amendment supporter, I was proud to meet with these staunch defenders of our gun rights.
Dan McDonald and Tom Delaney from the Delano Sportsman’s Club and others
Ela Tinglestad, Monticello, and others
Shawn Monette from Rockford and Justin Westerlund from Buffalo
If you have any questions or feedback about the issues the legislature is working on, please don’t hesitate to contact me. My office phone is 651-296-5981, and my email is Sen.Bruce.Anderson@senate.mn.
Talk to you again soon,
Bruce