3 issues to watch this week at the Minnesota Legislature

Health insurance relief, the Southwest Corridor light rail project and Sunday liquor sales are expected to dominate the agenda this week at the Minnesota state Capitol.

MPR News political reporter Brian Bakst spoke Tuesday with news host Cathy Wurzer about the coming week and what he's following.

1) Health coverage

Minnesotans who purchase health insurance through the state-run MNsure marketplace have just two weeks left to pick a plan. That decision is tough for those looking to Minnesota lawmakers for help in paying for soaring premiums.

State lawmakers agree they need to act, but haven't been able to agree on the details.

The Senate voted last week to approve its health insurance relief plan. The bill's main feature is a 25 percent rebate on monthly premiums for more than 100,000 insurance buyers that adds up to about $300 million.

The House expects to vote this week on a slightly different proposal, meaning additional negotiations will be needed before a bill reaches Gov. Mark Dayton.

The premium plan Republicans have devised also differs from Dayton's plan. The governor would route the money through insurers and provide it to anybody who doesn't qualify for federal tax subsidies.

Republicans want the rebates to be income-based, so relief wouldn't go to people earning a certain amount. Their argument is those people can afford more expensive plans and the rebate money should go to people with less money. In their bill, a state agency would have the job of writing the checks.

2) Liquor laws

The Committee on Commerce and Regulatory Reform meets Tuesday to discuss Sunday liquor sales. The plan before the House committee would allow people to buy liquor at liquor stores from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

This year, GOP House Speaker Kurt Daudt says he's going to be part of the push, which almost guarantees that it will pass the House. However, Senate passage is up in the air.

"It's a closely divided Senate on that question," Bakst said. "Some of the leaders are a bit skeptical on it."

3) Southwest light rail

Last year, the Metropolitan Council, Hennepin County and other Twin Cities area counties agreed to prop up the financing for the Southwest Corridor light rail project, filling in a $144.5 million funding gap.

The gap was left after the Legislature declined to approve $135 million in proposed state funding in a dispute that lingered as lawmakers and Dayton wrangled over a potential special legislative session.

"A lot of the Republican lawmakers — they lead the House and Senate now — want a deeper look at the Met Council, the governance, kind of the structure of it, and just kind of the way it raises and spends money," Bakst said. "You should expect that there's going to be a lot of talk about what the Metropolitan Council does and shouldn't do in the coming years."

Click on the audio player above to hear their conversation.