[chambernews] Fwd: You are our last line of defense!

Fri May 10 11:29:47 CDT 2013

Dear Members,
This information has come across my desk from the MN Chamber, I am 
sharing it with you so that you are aware and can do with it what you will.
Please see attached as well as read below.
Thank you.
karen.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	You are our last line of defense!
Date: 	Fri, 10 May 2013 11:01:38 -0500 (CDT)
From: 	Jennifer Byers <jbyers at mnchamber.com>
To: 	Karen at MoraMN.com

	Chamber: Minnesota
Your legislators will be home this weekend.  With a little over a week to go in the 2013 Legislative Session, it is essential that your members share their concerns.  Time is running out!  Please communicate with your members and ask them to visit with their elected officials this weekend.

Here is a brief update:

Tax proposals:  Historic and out of this world.  See the attachment.

Minimum Wage:  The House bill raises the minimum wage, by 2015, for large employers (gross sales over 500,000) to $9.50 an hour and for small employers to $8.50 an hour.  After 2016, the wage will be adjusted higher by the Consumer Price Index.  It also requires overtime pay on all work over 40 hours, rather than current law which is 48 hours.  The Senate bill raises the minimum wage to $7.75 an hour by 2015, and small businesses continue to pay $5.25 an hour.  Our position has been to support federal conformity, $7.25 an hour, so we prefer the Senate bill.  We'd like to see the overtime requirement remain at 48 hours.

Education:  With all the talk about workforce, we're incredibly disheartened that the Legislature is moving the wrong direction.  There are proposals to delay teacher evaluation and eliminate graduation requirements.  These provisions erode quality.  The Legislature is also considering re-introducing the general ed levy.

Energy: Mandates, cross subsidies, higher costs and less reliability will be the result if the omnibus energy bills are passed.  Please remind your legislators that Minnesota is losing its competitive edge on energy costs.

Health Care Costs:  In addition to the cost increases businesses can expect from the Affordable Care Act, and the health care exchange, there are provisions under consideration that will further increase costs.

MA Surcharge: Part of the House HHS Omnibus Bill, the Medical Assistance (MA) Surcharge alters the way the state reimburses providers for Medicaid and generates more than $40 million in revenue for the state.  The surcharge also creates winners and losers.  Check with your local providers’ administrators to determine how the surcharge impacts them.

HMO Surcharge: The Senate HHS Omnibus Bill contains an $80 million surcharge on HMOs that will be passed along to fully-insured consumers—individuals and small businesses.  This $80 million premium tax comes on top of an up to 1.5 percent exchange premium tax in 2014 and up to 3.5 percent exchange premium tax in 2015, a nearly 2 percent federal premium tax under the ACA, and a 3 percent MCHA assessment in the coming year.

I apologize for the long email, and all the bad news.  Please, urge your members to connect with legislators this week.  It will make a difference.

Thanks.

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