Public Policy Issues Archive (2.28.05)
This legislative update published February 28, 2005
“We allow our ignorance to prevail upon us and make us think we can survive alone, alone in patches, alone in groups, alone in races, even alone in genders.” — Maya Angelou
1. Violence Against Women Day Rally at the Capitol This Week
2. Domestic Abuse No Contact Orders Bill
3. Bill to Keep School Counselors
4. Proposed Cut to the Renters’ Credit
5. Constitutional Amendment Could Affect Domestic Abuse Trials
6. Communities Lose as Nonprofit Sector Struggles
7. Oppose Federal Budge Cuts–-Take Action by March 3
8. Seven Years of Welfare Reform, Weighing the Results
9. Homelessness and Abuse—The Facts
10. Correction to Family Law Bill
11. Contact Us
1. Violence Against Women Day Rally at the Capitol This Week
Mark your calendars for the most exciting day of the year to stop family violence and work toward peaceful communities, families and relationships.
On Thursday March 3, you have an opportunity to meet with your legislators in the morning and early afternoon, and then participate in the Violence Against Women Action Day Rally at the Minnesota Capitol Rotunda at 1:30, which will include the Memorial for the 2004 victims of femicide and sexual assault. Then, the “March to Keep Doors Open for Women and Children” will travel from the Capitol to the Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women (MCBW) office, just two blocks away. The unveiling of the 2004 Clothesline Project and reception at the MCBW office will be at 3 p.m.
On Wednesday March 2, a legislative training and dinner at the MCBW office will be held from 4 – 8 p.m. Topics covered at the training are how to talk to your legislators, grassroots organizing, and policy issues. The fee for non-MCBW members is $25 per person.
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2. Domestic Abuse No Contact Orders Bill
A bill introduced by Sen. Jane Ranum (DFL-Minneapolis) provides stronger criminal penalties for civil restraining orders. The bill S.F.1143 makes it easier for the police and sheriff to enforce existing laws surrounding Orders of Protection, Harassment Restraining Orders, and criminal No Contact Orders. The bill was introduced and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 24.
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3. Bill to Keep School Counselors
According to an article published on February 23 in the Star Tribune, “A bill introduced in the Minnesota House aims to open up more funding to hire and keep school counselors, whose ranks have been reduced by budget cuts over the past several years.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Randy Demmer (R-Hayfield) would allow districts to use tax fund called the ‘safe schools levy’ to pay salaries and benefits for counselors. That levy is now used for such costs as police liaison services, drug prevention programs, school security, and other crime prevention and safety measures.
Most recent national statistics have shown that Minnesota ranks almost near the bottom in terms of the ration of students to counselors, with an average of 806 students per counselor in grades K-12. That’s more than three times the ratio recommended by national experts and much higher than the national average.
A companion bill has been introduced in the Senate” View the bill H.F.0550 for more information.
For complete article please visit the Star Tribune website.
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4. Proposed Cut to the Renters’ Credit
The renters’ credit is an important source of tax relief and housing assistance for low-and moderate-income persons across Minnesota. Governor Tim Pawlenty’s budget proposal would cut the Renters’ Credit by 20 percent in fiscal year 2007 and 25 percent in fiscal year 2008 and future years. The Minnesota Budget Project has prepared three fact sheets that provide information about the Renters’ Credit and what impact the Governor’s Proposal would have.
To view these reports, please visit:
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5. Constitutional Amendment Could Affect Domestic Abuse Trials
A bill proposing a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman was introduced in the House earlier this session. The bill has gone onto the House Civil Law and Elections Committee for further review, with a hearing and committee vote scheduled for March 18. Since the bill H.F.0006 was sent to committee in early January, several additional authors have been added.
This Minnesota measure could hold similar consequences to an constitutional amendment passed in Ohio which is now being used to block the prosecution of domestic violence crimes in unmarried relationships—heterosexual and gay/lesbian. More than 80 percent of the 1,400 women who utilized emergency shelter at Tubman Family Alliance last year were unmarried—often single, widowed or divorced.
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6. Communities Lose as Nonprofit Sector Struggles
A survey conducted by the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits in early June 2004 reveals that nonprofits are facing increasing financial pressures as their major sources of revenues have been on the decline. Nearly half of the nonprofit organizations surveyed experienced funding cuts from state and local government in recent years, at the same time that demands for their services have been rising. Minnesota’s communities are suffering the impact as many residents, both urban and rural, are finding it more difficult to meet their most basic needs for food, shelter, health care, transportation, and education and training. For the complete report click here.
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7. Oppose Federal Budget Cuts—Take Action by March 3
Just as we have seen at the state level for many years, the federal government is facing large budget deficits. Moreover, federal policymakers focus on cutting spending while at the same time wanting to extend and expand the tax cuts that are largely responsible for the growth in the deficit in the first place.
Minnesotans have to be vigilant, as cuts to programs that are crucial to Minnesota's quality of life are under threat through several possible budget maneuvers, such as caps on spending growth. For more on that issue, fact sheet Federal Budget Decisions Would Have Serious Consequences for Minnesotans and the State's Fiscal Health.
The U.S. Senate will start working on their budget resolutions the week of March 7. Contact your Senators now to voice your opinion on this important issue. Click on links below for contact info for Minnesota’s U.S. Senators:
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN)
Sen. Mark Dayton (D-MN)
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8. Seven Years of Welfare Reform, Weighing the Results
Please join the Affirmative Options Coalition for a presentation and discussion on the findings of the report, Seven Years of Welfare Reform, Weighing the Results on Wednesday March 2. Presenters will include Lynda McDonnell, report author and former Pioneer Press reporter, and Ellen Shelton, report contributor from the Wilder Research Center. A group of local researchers who formed the Welfare Reform Research Roundtable developed the report.
The event is free, but please RSVP to Karen@affirmativeoptions.org if you or others from your organization are planning to attend.
Wednesday, March 2, 10-11:30 am
Northwest Area Foundation (NWAF)
Conference Room - 60 Plato Blvd. East, Suite 400, St. Paul
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9. Homelessness and Abuse—The Facts
The most recent findings from the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation’s tri-annual homelessness survey were presented to the House Jobs and Economic Opportunity Policy and Finance Committee on February 16.
Findings indicated that of the homeless surveyed:
- 31 percent were women who had been victims of domestic abuse.
- 38 percent had been physically abused as a child, and 27 percent had been sexually abused as a child.
- 34 percent had been in institutional placements as a child, such as foster care or a juvenile facility.
- 42 percent of had recently been released from prison.
Visit the Wilder Research Center’s Homeless in Minnesota 2003: Key Facts from the Survey of Minnesotans without Permanent Housing for the complete report.
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10. Correction to Family Law Bill
Bill S.F. 751 covered in last week’s update states that blood tests showing fatherhood by a percentage of 92 or higher would also create an "evidentiary presumption" of paternity.
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11. Contact Us
This legislative update is produced by Tubman Family Alliance, a pioneer in family violence prevention nationwide. Tubman Family Alliance offers a full range of services for all community members—men, women, and children—with the aim of preventing and ending family violence.
Get involved by volunteering at Tubman Family Alliance, or invite the Tubman Speaker’s Bureau to bring violence prevention outreach to your workplace, faith community, civic group or professional association.
For further information on legislative issues and how you can help take action, contact Randy Schubring, Director of Public Affairs at Tubman Family Alliance at 651-770-8544/612-825-3333 or at grassroots@tubmanfamilyalliance.org.
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This Public Policy Updated Published February 28, 2005.
Editor: Randy Schubring
Writers: Christina Fahling and Margaret Ostrander
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