2009 Minnesota Legislative Session Wrap Up
May 20, 2009 1:54:00
What happened this session?
• Governor Signs Bisphenol-A Ban and Toxic Free Kids Act
• Family Planning Special Projects
• Anti Choice Initiatives Defeated
• Sex Ed Gets Informational Hearing
Governor Signs Bisphenol-A Ban and Toxic Free Kids Act
On May 8th, Governor Pawlenty made history by signing a bill that bans the chemical Bisphenol-A in baby bottles and sippy cups! By signing this bill, Minnesota became the first state to ban the use of Bisphenol-A in any product.
Additionally, the Governor signed the Toxic Free Kids Act (TFKA). This bill grants the Pollution Control Agency (PCA) the authority to review the safety of chemicals used in children’s products!
Planned Parenthood is thrilled to be part of the Healthy Legacy Coalition; the driving force behind these landmark pieces of legislation.
Planned Parenthood sat down with Healthy Legacy Coalition Coordinator, Peter Starzynski, to talk about the Bisphenol-A ban immediately following the Governor’s signature. Listen to the podcast below or subscribe to our podcast for free in itunes.
Family Planning Special Projects (FPSP)
Since 1978, the Minnesota Department of Health has supported healthy families through Family Planning Special projects (FPSP). Today, more than 27,000 women, men and teens receive affordable health care services through FPSP each year. Without it, they often receive no health care at all.
Planned Parenthood works in coalition with SafPlan to ensure that family planning funding remains a health care priority for the state of Minnesota.
One of the bills signed into law by the Governor this year was the Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations bill which included full funding for FPSP. However, FPSP remains vulnerable as the Governor intends to use his power to “unallot” in an effort to balance the state’s budget.
It's unclear just when we'll know the final decision regarding FPSP funding. We’ll keep you informed as we get more information.
Anti-Choice Amendments Defeated
Every year, anti-choice forces introduce legislation that undermines women’s health care and access to the full range of reproductive health services. This year, we saw several anti-choice initiatives in the form of amendments to the omnibus Health and Human Services bill. Thankfully, all of these amendments were defeated in both the House and Senate!
Sex Ed Gets Informational Hearing
We learned last year that Governor Pawlenty would likely not sign the Responsible Family Life and Sexuality Education bill. While this is a disappointment, it doesn’t preclude Planned Parenthood and the Coalition for Responsible Sex Ed from continuing to bring the issue in front of legislators.
This year, the sex ed bill was sponsored by Representative Frank Hornstein and Senator Sandy Pappas. Senator Pappas has carried this bill for several years, but with the retirement of Rep. Neva Walker last year we were in need of a new sponsor on the House side. Rep. Frank Hornstein immediately took up the bill and was a wonderful advocate.
The bill received an informational hearing this year, and testimony focused on two important studies by the Centers for Disease Control and the Minnesota Department of Health. These two studies underscore the need for medically-accurate, age-appropriate sexuality education in public schools. Many legislators were astounded by the rising rate of STIs in Minnesota, and we are confident that the 2010 legislative session will see more action on this bill.
All of your calls and emails made a huge difference! Without your help, we wouldn't have accomplished nearly as much!
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