Soldiers get a break with MinnesotaCare

05/22/2005

A law that took effect Friday allows active-duty soldiers to suspend MinnesotaCare health insurance when they’re called up and restart the coverage later without waiting.

Soldiers also won’t see increases in their MinnesotaCare premiums because of combat pay and other extra-military income. Such pay isn’t taxed by federal or state authorities but had been used to recalculate premiums for the state-run health program.

Poet laureate

The House on Friday voted 126-6 to send a bill to Gov. Tim Pawlenty that would establish a poet laureate for Minnesota.

“I don’t think we do nearly enough with poetry anymore. It’s really like it’s a dying art,” said Rep. Barb Sykora, R-Excelsior. “I hope it will kind of reinvigorate people’s interest in poetry.”

Under the bill, the Minnesota Humanities Commission would recommend to the governor someone for the job. The poet laureate would be encouraged to appear at ceremonies and celebrations and get students excited about poetry.

The poet laureate wouldn’t be paid with tax dollars.