Strengthening Pharmacy Care, Paid Family and Medical Leave Proposals

Due the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of pharmacy care was expanded to include the ability to order some types of tests and to administer vaccines. As the expiration date of the authorization approaches, a bipartisan group of lawmakers would like to make the changes permanent. Senator Zach Duckworth, R-Lakeville, joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to talk about a package of bills to increase access to health care through a permanent expansion of pharmacy services.

Paid Family and Medical Leave programs are popping up around the country. According to a January report by the Bipartisan Policy Center, nine states and the District of Columbia either offer a plan or soon will. Senator Julia Coleman, R-Waconia, and Senator Susan Kent, DFL-Woodbury, join Shannon to describe their approaches to offering the benefit to Minnesotans.

On a 42-24 vote, the Senate gave its initial approval Thursday, April 7, to a tax bill that would reduce the state’s first tier income tax rate from 5.35 percent to 2.8 percent, eliminate income taxes on all social security benefits and provide state tax conformity to a number of federal provisions. Also in the program are highlights from the bill's final committee hearing Wednesday, April 6.