Minn. health insurance exchange vote today

Legislation creating a state health insurance exchange gets a vote Monday in the Minnesota House.

The bill was heard by nine separate committees on its way to the House floor, but Republicans complained that Democrats stopped all GOP attempts to make meaningful improvements. They'll try again on the floor with more than 50 possible amendments.

House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, of Crown, said he thinks the bill has too many problems to get Republican support.

"We've got an opportunity on the floor to have a great debate. We've got an opportunity on the floor to adopt amendments and to fix this bill and make it bipartisan. So, I'm going to say they will or won't. As far as I'll probably go is say if the bill doesn't change from where it is right now they're likely to have not more than one vote," he said.

DFL House Majority leader Erin Murphy of St. Paul said the exchange bill will provide more Minnesotans access to affordable health care through a marketplace that will be easier to navigate.

The Senate will take up its exchange bill on Thursday.