Low points of May 13 Senate Finance Amendment

Thank you Senator Torres Ray for providing outstanding leadership during the Full Senate Vote.
Sen. Torres Ray introduced Amendment 850 (text not available at the moment)
amending the May 13 Senate finance committee amendment:

Here are the low points of the May 13 massacre:
the bill be amended as follows:
Page 4, line 33, delete "N.D.,"
"Sec. 11. NATUROPATHY WORK GROUP.
Subdivision 1. Work group. By September 1, 2008, the commissioner of health shall convene
a work group to develop recommendations and proposed legislation, as necessary, on regulating
naturopathic practitioners who are practicing as naturopathic medical doctors or physicians and
who have postgraduate degrees in naturopathic medicine. The recommendations must ensure the continued practice of traditional naturopathy by traditional naturopaths under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 146A. The recommendations shall include the following issues:
(1) the appropriate level of regulation for practitioners with postgraduate degree in naturopathic
medicine;
(2) the definitions to be used for the recommended regulatory scheme to ensure the distinction
between the practice of naturopathic medicine and the practice of traditional naturopathy;
(3) the level of education and training, including appropriate credentialing of educational
programs for the postgraduate degree level of practice;
(4) the scope of practice for naturopathic practitioners with postgraduate degrees in naturopathic medicine that would be exclusive to these practitioners and would reflect the level of education and training. The scope of practice must acknowledge and ensure the continued practice of all complementary and alternative health practices, including naturopathy, currently practiced under Minnesota Statutes, chapter 146A;
(5) the appropriate regulatory authority, including the possible establishment of a new regulatory board; and
(6) any other regulatory requirements for naturopathic medicine the work group deems
necessary.
Subd. 2. Membership and operation of working group. (a) The work group shall consist of
the following members:
(1) twomembers appointed by the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians,Minnesota chapter;
(2) two members appointed by the Coalition for Natural Health, Minnesota chapter;
(3) one member appointed by the American Naturopathic Medical Association, Minnesota chapter;
(4) one member appointed by the Minnesota Homeopathic Association;
(5) one member appointed by the Acupuncture Association of Minnesota;
(6) one member appointed by the Minnesota Chiropractic Association;
(7) one member appointed by the Minnesota Medical Association who is a practicing physician
trained in natural healing methods;
(8) one member appointed by the Office of Complementary and Alternative Medicine who is practicing as a traditional naturopath; and
(9) onememberwho is a consumer of naturopathic treatment appointed by theMinnesotaNatural Health Legal Reform project.
...
The work group shall
complete its recommendations by December 15, 2008, and the commissioner shall submit a report containing the work group's recommendations and proposed legislation to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health care by January 15, 2009.
Page 12, line 17, delete "11" and insert "12" and delete "2008" and insert "2009"

Let's tally these workgroup's composition. Assuming the representatives from the homeopaths, acupuncturists, chiropractors, and medical doctors are not biased, this amendment stacks
the workgroup 5 to 2 with the opponents of regulating naturopathic doctors.
This is what MNHLRP call 'FAIR' and 'this is a good compromise'.