Minnesota House Approves Health and Human Services Package

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The House has approved a $14.3 billion social services bill that would end the state's health care exchange and send Minnesota residents to the federal marketplace instead.

The bill passed 74-53 on Friday, largely along party lines. The bill increases spending by nearly $2 billion compared to the last two years, but that increase wouldn't keep pace with rising costs, and the bill would cut spending by $600 million.

Republicans say that the growing cost of health care in the state is unsustainable and their bill attempts to rein in some of those costs.

But Democrats fear the cuts will be too painful. They say that child care, home visits by health professionals and services for the elderly are already stretched too thin to weather cuts.