Daily Digest: Health care bill reaction

Good morning and welcome to Friday. Here's the Digest:

1. While many Republicans praised  the health care legislation the U.S. House narrowly passed Thursday, a wide swath of the American health care system opposes it — and Minnesota's industry is no exception. The bill heads now for a fight in the U.S. Senate, where it faces an uncertain future. The state's health care sectors, however, are raising alarm about the potential for the legislation, known as the American Health Care Act, to become law. "We are concerned that the American Health Care Act is going to cause a huge retreat in the number of people who are insured," said Wendy Burt, spokesperson for the Minnesota Hospital Association, which represents nearly all the state's health systems and hospitals. (MPR News)

2. The three Republicans in Minnesota's congressional delegation voted for the bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. All five Democrats in the delegation voted against it. “While the AHCA is not perfect, there are many areas it gets right," said Republican Tom Emmer. “Calling this bill the ‘American Health Care Act’ is a cruel irony – 24 million Americans will likely lose their coverage," said Democrat Keith Ellison. Here's more of what they had to say about their votes. (Pioneer Press)

3. At the state Capitol DFL Gov. Mark Dayton’s political allies are begging him to resist a host of Republican proposals. Dayton says he’s listening, but might not be able to stop everything. In the past few days they’ve called for him to veto a bill that prevents local governments from establishing higher minimum wage or benefit ordinances; to stop campaign finance law changes that would effectively wipe out candidate spending caps; to reject a bill that shutters a state-funded arts school; and to nix a transportation bill that some argue shortchanges transit and would lead to bus route cuts. Right now, Democrats lack a power base in the Legislature with Republicans in charge of the House and Senate. Convincing Dayton not to budge is their best hope. (MPR News)

4. Minnesota's public colleges and universities will have to raise tuition, cut programs or both under the budget proposed by state lawmakers, warns Larry Pogemiller, the state higher education commissioner. At this point, Gov. Mark Dayton is seeking nearly $200 million more for higher education than the House and Senate have been willing to authorize, Pogemiller said Thursday. The governor has requested $3.4 billion, while a conference committee recently approved $3.19 billion. While the two sides try to work out their differences, Pogemiller predicted that the consequences could be dire for students at both the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State colleges and universities. (Star Tribune)

5. The movement to require tobacco buyers in Minnesota to be 21 years old reached the State Capitol on Thursday, even though it's probably too late in the session for it to get much consideration this year. Sen. Carla Nelson, R-Rochester, introduced a bill that would raise the minimum age to buy tobacco products statewide from 18 to 21. "It's very clear that preventing tobacco purchases under the age of 21 is the best way to keep new kids from becoming addicted smokers and all the lifelong devastating effects that come with that," she said. The bill comes just days after the Edina City Council made that city the first in Minnesota to raise its tobacco sales age to 21. The ordinance will go into effect July 1. (Star Tribune)

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