2024 Session Summary

Online Sports Betting Bill Harm Mitigation Measures and Addiction Resources

The gambling bill did not pass despite multiple 11th-hour attempts by House and Senate bill authors. The original safeguards included at the session's beginning remained in the current proposal, in addition to a couple of new provisions we advocated for, including a higher tax rate that can be used for recovery resources, and age verification when creating an account on betting platforms.

JRLC’s position on online gambling expansion is a both/and stance -- we oppose online gambling expansion, but also ardently advocate for the inclusion of safeguards in case expansion passes in the future. We it to be a success that the bill did not pass because it prevents problems being created in the first place due to a lack of sufficient harm mitigation measures. We are also very pleased that we were able to get additional safeguards in the current proposal, though work remains to be done.

Because the bill will have to be reintroduced next year, we are optimistic that opportunity will come up to include additional harm mitigation measures added to the existing proposal.

Status: Success and ongoing.

Maternal Health Data Sharing Bill

As expected, the Maternal Health Data Sharing bill did not progress in the House or Senate, primarily due to opposition from the House's Health Finance and Policy committee chair. According to legislative rules, that legislator cannot continue as chair of that committee after this session, so we hope to be more successful next year.  

In the meantime, our contracted lobbying support at Lockridge Grindal Nauen believes there may be a way to get the necessary data to the Department of Health's Maternal Death Task Force without legislative action. We will continue working on this in the interim, hoping to have some sort of resolution by the end of the year. 

Status: Ongoing.

Out-of-State Lenders 36% Rate Cap (In partnership with Exodus Lending)

Unfortunately, our secondary priority -- applying the 36% rate loan cap to out-of-state lenders spearheaded by Exodus Lending -- did not pass this session. In discussion around the bill, it became clear that out-of-state lender advocates were able to gain traction with certain legislators and prevent this measure from passing. We will continue to support this effort next year since proposals like this often take several sessions to gather traction. 

Status: Ongoing.

Funding Early Intervention Treatment Facilities for People with Schizophrenia (JRLC supporting NAMI)

Early intervention is critical in slowing the progression of schizophrenia and helping people manage their mental illness. The average time it takes individuals to get treatment is 74 weeks after their first psychotic episode. By then, the condition has often progressed to the point where the individuals cannot maintain a stable living situation, attend school, or manage a job. We currently have four dedicated facilities in Minnesota; the need is for eight total facilities. This issue is particularly pressing with the legalization of marijuana in 2023, which can be a trigger for people genetically predisposed to developing schizophrenia.

Status: Success, funding allocated.