We adjourned Sine Die before midnight (a day early). The Constitution requires that we cannot pass a bill on the last day of session therefore, we adjourned yesterday and the Governor called the legislature into session at 12:01 AM. There is an agreement on the budget, but not enough time to draft the bill. We will be going into recess immediately.
We adjourned and will reconvene at 7:30 AM
8:05 AM The bill has been completed. We are waiting to convene. The bill:
· Established Early Medical Assistance (MA) beginning on July 1st, 2010 in state law.
· For every dollar we send to Washington we receive $7 dollars in return, recapturing $1.4 billion of our tax dollars and putting it to work for all Minnesotans.
· Protects hospitals and nursing homes, preserves and creates 21,000 jobs, covers 100,000 Minnesotans, and bends the health care cost curve to make care more affordable for all Minnesotans.
*Attached is a letter from the Hospital Association describing the bill.
9:20 AM we convene. Rep. Mary Murphy does the invocation reading from “The Old Turtle”.
HF 1.. Budget balancing bill. Suspending the rules to take up the bill. Passed.There is an amendment that is technical. Approved. Sertich moves a call of the House. 129 members here. I voted aye. Passed 97 – 32.
Buesgens moves to adjourn. Failed.
HF 2 – Education bill.Greiling moves to declare an urgency to bring up the bill. I vote yes. Needs 90 votes. 85 – 43. Fails
Sertich moves a series of technical motions to close session.
Recess until the Senate passes the HF 1.
10:52 AM. Sertich extends thanks to the staff and workers who make things happen here.
Rep. Hamilton rises for point of personal privilege to express concern about the process and to express an apology. Sertich said we all need to communicate better and to get some rest and rejuvenate ourselves and to go back to our families.
Rep. Sertich moves to adjourn sine die at 10:57 AM.
