There is a Minnesota Health Plan bill status page, here, stating:
HF135 was tabled by the House Health Policy committee on Wednesday, February 25, stalling progress for this session.
The MN Health Plan was successfully voted out of the Senate Health, Housing and Family Security Committee by an 8 - 5 vote.
The bill was approved by the Senate Commerce Committee on February 10, 7 - 3.
I read that as saying the Senate was moving more, while the House was foot-dragging.
Who, specifically was foot-dragging?
The legislative code revisor's bill page indicates the committee it was assigned to was "Health Care and Human Services Policy and Oversight." The House has a page on the committee, here, and Paul Thissen is chair. Does that mean he was sandbagging on the bill, bottling it up. or is there any other cogent way to read things?
Those on that committee are identified, here with mug shots, and there are a number of impediments to progress: Tom Emmer, Laura Brod, Steve Gottwalt.
The others are just names to me.
Lead GOP, Jim Abeler. My Rep? Not that I vote GOP, but he and I live in the same district. He's a chiropractor and was cosponsor of an alternative medicine thing that Michele Bachmann pushed while in the State Senate; her family owning a faith healing clinic doing business in Woodbury, I believe.
I am unsure of the location, but it advertises as faith healing.
Abeler, what are you doing bottling up a perfectly fine bill? Why?
What's up?
Who is my friend? Who is my enemy?
I am friendly with the Minnesota Plan, so the enemies of my friend are my enemies.
Thissen, can you explain yourself?
He just got taken off my short list. Marty, Dayton and Kelley are it, for now, with my mind open if news of what Thissen and committee cohorts were up to has a credible and innocent explanation. Otherwise, they were standing on top of, in the way of progress. And should stand aside and not be put into the head of the executive branch.
What's happening?
Study the Minnesota Health Plan webpages. Again, homepage here. Think it all over. This needs passage to move into the twenty-first century as a civilized nation and not as a nation wanting to fear-monger the working class over healthcare worries in order to make them more docile and amenable to being exploited and pulled around because of the employer-paid situation that makes changing jobs harder. Who is my friend? My enemy?
__________UPDATE___________
How's this for your legislature getting transparency so you can see who did what?
Committee minutes for Feb. 25, consideration of H.F. 135, at p.2
Rep. Laine moved that HF135 be laid on the table. MOTION PREVAILED.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:25 P.M.
Sure they can operate that way, not put a vote count on the record or do a roll call vote on record. Only when they do the answer should be to vote the batch of them out of office onto the street. We deserve to know the ones stabbing Ceasar, the ones trying to prevent the stabbing. Don't we? Or are we the citizens paying all the bills just mushrooms? Kept in the dark, etc.
_______FURTHER UPDATE___________
With the comment left, which I cannot verify but assume is valid from Thissen, (despite the double negative), it appears Thissen basically supports the Minnesota Health Plan moving forward into law. Again, it is something which might impact care providers somewhat but which would cover everyone and make payment more efficient by eliminating slack and avarice among insurers, as suffered under the status quo.
I am generally impressed by Thissen as a candidate and he is still on the short list, despite the comment being less than clear about the dimensions of opposition, the "who stood strongly in the way" dimension, being left publicly undefined.
I again criticize publishing official committee minutes where individuals will kill a proposal without courage and conviction to put their name publicly behind their actions. It is irresponsible representation, and calls the entire process into question.
I deplore such hiding in the weeds and citizens should be expected to do so, universely and regardless of party loyalties or status as independents.
Sunshine is the best disinfectant.