Local Government Health Care Benefits Bill

Site Map | Links | About Us | Contact Us

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman testified before a senate committee in favor of the bill. 'We believe this is an issue of competitiveness.' Looking on is Chief Senate Author Senator Linda Higgins.

City of Minneapolis employee Jan Fondell

City of Minneapolis employee Jan Fondell testified that her family, including her partner and two children, pays several thousand dollars a year in premiums and co-pays because her partner cannot be covered under her insurance. In addition, she testified that her partner is on Medicare, and that this is more expensive to taxpayers than city-provided employer benefits. The senate committee overwhelmingly voted in favor of the bill, and included bipartisan support on the committee.

OutFront Minnesota Public Policy Director Monica Meyer testifies before the Minneapolis Intergovernmental Relations Committee on March 6th to give context to the Local Government Health Benefits Bill.

OutFront Minnesota Public Policy Director Monica Meyer testifies before the Minneapolis Intergovernmental Relations Committee March 6th on the Local Government Health Benefits Bill. The committee then voted unanimously to incorporate the bill as part of the city's legislative agenda. City Council Member Ralph Remington told Meyer, "I'm glad this is moving forward and I commend your efforts." The Minneapolis City Council voted on March 9th to support the bill.

OutFront Minnesota Public Policy Director Monica Meyer speaks with Minneapolis Government Relations Director Gene Ranieri after the vote.

OutFront Minnesota Public Policy Director Monica Meyer speaks with Minneapolis Government Relations Director Gene Ranieri.

Local Government Health Care Benefits Bill

Status of Bill
Governor Pawlenty has vetoed this legislation as part of a large omnibus spending package. Conference committee members and the governor will have to strike a compromise before a final package is approved. It is unknown if this legislation will stay in the final version of the bill.

Introduced in the House as HF 1097 and in the Senate as SF 906 this bill would allow local governments the right to offer domestic partner benefits, if they choose.

Listen to Ann DeGroot's WCCO Radio debate with the Minnesota Family Council's Tom Prichard on the bill to allow local governments to offer domestic partner benefits to their employees.

This bill would allow local governments to control who they offer health and other benefits to. Currently, local governments are prevented from offering domestic partner benefits to their employees due to a state court ruling twelve years ago (see background below). OutFront Minnesota is promoting this bill as an issue of fairness and of local control over local affairs.

Call your lawmakers to express your support. Need to find your lawmaker? Click here for our district finder.

OutFront Minnesota appeared before St. Paul City Council committee on Wednesday, March 7th. See video here The St. Paul City Council voted 6-0 (one council member was absent) to support a resolution in favor of the local health benefits bill. In addition to St. Paul City Council, OutFront Minnesota has secured the support for this bill from Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, the Minneapolis City Council, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, St. Joseph Mayor Richard Carlbom, Duluth Mayor Herb Bergson, Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede, The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners, St. Louis County Commissioner Steve O'Neil, Red Wing City Council, the Moorhead City Council, the Minnesota Association of Small Cities, and the League of Minnesota Cities.

Contact your Minnesota Representative and Minnesota Senator and tell them to vote for House File 1097 or Senate File 960. For a sample letter and background information, click here. Find your legislative district.

Text of Bill
House version HF 1097
Senate version SF 960

Call or email your Senators before the floor vote! Need to find your Senator? Click here for our district finder.

New poll affirms support for local government health benefits bill.

Pioneer Press editorial endorses local government health benefits bill.

Background

In 1995, the City of Minneapolis was sued by a taxpayer arguing that the City had exceeded its authority by providing health care benefits to its employees' unmarried partners. In Lilly v. City of Minneapolis, 527 N.W.2d 107 (Minn. App. 1995), the Minnesota Court of Appeals noted that the Legislature had enacted a specific statute, Minn. Stat. § 471.61, authorizing local governments, including cities, counties, school districts, and the like, to provide benefits to employees, employees' spouses, and employees' dependent children (including, in some circumstances, adult children).

The Court held that in doing so, the State had intended to fully regulate the area of employee benefits provided by local governments and that accordingly, local governments could offer such benefits only to those categories of people identified in Minn. Stat. § 471.61: employees, employees' spouses, and employees' dependent children. Because employees' unmarried "domestic partners" do not appear in this list, the Court ruled that local governments lacked the authority to provide them the type of benefits described in Minn. Stat. § 471.61, in particular, premium-based group insurance coverage.

The Bill’s Authors

The chief authors are Senator Linda Higgins, DFL, 58, Minneapolis, and Representative Jim Davnie, DFL, 62A, Minneapolis.

House Co-Authors include:

Rep. Joe Atkins, DFL, 39B, Inver Grove Heights
Rep. Karla Bingham, DFL, 57A, Cottage Grove
Rep. Lyndon Carlson, DFL, 45B, Crystal
Rep. David Dill, DFL, 06A, Crane Lake
Rep. Ron Earhardt, R, 41A, Edina
Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL, 66B, St. Paul
Rep. Frank Hornstein, DFL, 60B, Minneapolis
Rep. Debra Hilstrom, DFL, 46B, Brooklyn Center
Rep. Bill Hilty, DFL, 08A, Finlayson
Rep. Mike Jaros, DFL, 7B, Duluth
Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL, 59B, Minneapolis
Rep. Tina Liebling, DFL, 30A, Rochester
Rep. Erin Murphy, DFL, 64A, St. Paul
Rep. Michael Nelson, DFL, 46A, Brooklyn Park
Rep. Michael Paymar, DFL, 64B, St. Paul
Rep. Neil Peterson, R, 41B, Bloomington
Rep. Steve Simon, DFL, 44A, Saint Louis Park
Rep. Loren Solberg, DFL, 03B, Grand Rapids
Rep. Ken Tschumper, DFL, 31B, La Crescent
Rep. Jean Wagenius, DFL, 62B, Minneapolis
Rep. Neva Walker, DFL, 61B, Minneapolis.

Senate Co-Authors include:

Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL, 60, Minneapolis
Sen. Paul Koering, R, 12, Fort Ripley
Sen. Tom Saxhaug, DFL, 03, Grand Rapids
Sen. Katie Sieben, DFL, 57, Newport.

Press Releases
Bills for Fairness Move Forward in the Senate / March 12th

OutFront Minnesota pushes back against fear-mongering of Minnesota Family Council.

Return to main legislative action page