Health Insurance Exchange, Education Funding

Governor Mark Dayton recently announced that Minnesota would receive $4.2 million dollars in federal grants to help establish a health insurance exchange, which is required under federal law. Beginning in 2014, all Americans must carry health insurance, and local exchanges will provide options to people for acquiring the coverage.

In response to the administration's acceptance of the federal grant money, key GOP leaders held a press conference Tuesday, August 16th, to express their concerns of the state moving forward without legislative approval.

"We want to make it clear, again, to the administration that we believe that they are exceeding their authority to act in this way," Senate Health and Human Services Chair David Hann said at a recent press conference. "We are going to pursue every means available to us as the legislature to prevent that from occurring," he later added.

"We have grave concerns over Governor Dayton's willingness to fully embrace the federal Obamacare...we believe we would be better served, Minnesota would be better served, if instead the governor was a partner of ours in resisting the federal takeover of health care," Senate Commerce Chair Chris Gerlach said.

On this week's Capitol Report, host Julie Bartkey talks further with Senate Health and Human Services Chair David Hann and lead DFL committee member, Senator Tony Lourey, about the legislature's involvement and next steps.

Also in the program, Produce Jon Brune with the help of Education Fiscal Analyst Eric Nauman, simplify the complexities of education funding. Plus, the public gives their two-cents worth at the fair.