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Public Policy Issues Archive (5.24.05)

This legislative update published May 24, 2005


"Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you." - Pericles

 

1. $1.67 Million Passes for Shelters and Crime Victim Services - Thank You!
2. Renters' Credit in Jeopardy - Act This Week!
3. Abuse Victims Gain Greater Protection from Strangulation
4. Minnesota's Working Poor Could Pay More - Act This Week!
5. House, Senate and Governor Budget Proposals Compared
6. Peace In the Streets - This Saturday
7. Contact Us

 

1. $1.67 Million Passes for Shelters and Crime Victim Services - Thank You!
This week, the House and Senate passed $1.67 million in annual increased funding for key family violence services. Contact legislators below with a resounding thank you for their incredible bi-partisan efforts that resulted in the passage of this Public Safety Omnibus Bill including:

  • Crime Victim Services will see an increase in base funding of $1.27 million for 2006-07 and $1.27 million for 2008-09.
  • Women's shelters across Minnesota received an increase of $400,000 for 2006-07 and $400,000 for 2008-09.

The Public Safety Omnibus Bill is expected to go to the Governor in the next few days. The Governor is expected to sign the bill, at which point it will become law. Thank you to everyone who contacted conference committee members regarding this bill. Your voice truly made a difference - thank you for standing up for family violence prevention in Minnesota!

Contact the following key legislators and thank them for supporting family violence prevention as a pivotal public safety issue:

Call your own state Senator and Representative and thank them for passing the Public Safety Omnibus Bill with family violence funding increases. Find out who represents you at Who Represents Me?

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2. Renters' Credit in Jeopardy - Act This Week!
As the legislature moves into Special Session crunch-time, substantial differences remain between the House and Senate approaches to the Renters' Credit. While the House has passed a 44 percent cut to the Renters' Credit, the Senate proposes no cut. Please contact conference committee members, House and Senate leadership, and your legislators, to tell them that there should be No Cut to the Renters' Credit. Tell them:

  • The Renters' Credit provides property tax relief and housing assistance to 275,000 low- and moderate-income Minnesota households with high housing costs.
  • The House provision would cut the Renters' Credit by 44 percent, and is one of the largest revenue-raisers in their bill.
  • Nearly 30 percent of Renters' Credit recipients are seniors or disabled.
  • Minnesota's low- and moderate-income renters should not be expected to shoulder such a large share of the cost of balancing the budget.
  • People use the credit to pay for important basic needs such as: deferred dental work, school clothes and school supplies for their children, and car repairs.

For victims of family violence, affordable housing is a gateway to a safe future. Without affordable rental housing, families are forced to return to an abusive relationship, accept life on the streets or assume other substandard living conditions. The Renter's Credit is a key component to maintaining affordable housing for families who need it most.

For additional information on the Renters' Credit, please see http://www.mncn.org/bp/renterscredit.htm.

Tax Conference Committee Members:


House And Senate Leadership:


Find out who represents you at Who Represents Me?

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3. Abuse Victims Gain Greater Protection from Strangulation
With the passage of the Public Safety Omnibus bill this week, the legislature has made strangulation in family violence cases a felony-level offense. This measure was incorporated into the Public Safety Omnibus bill which passed both the Minnesota House and Senate this week. The Governor is expected to sign this bill in a few days.

Strangulation is a strong predictor of lethality in family violence cases. Making family violence strangulation a felony enhances victim protection, increases offender accountability and can truly save lives.

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4. Minnesota's Working Poor Could Pay More - Act This Week!
With the legislature in its final push during a Special Session, key leaders need to hear an outcry of citizen support for services essential for healthy families and thriving communities. Health care, child care, Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) are three top issues debated at the Capitol this week. The Health and Human Services Conference Committee has been meeting since last week to negotiate major differences between bills passed by the House and Senate. Contact members of the Health and Human Services Conference Committee and state leadership listed below.

Families healing from violence experience a myriad of barriers. They can be cut off from natural support networks like friends and family, due intentional isolation by an abusive partner, and often lack resources others may have in financial and childcare support. Crucial services like MFIP, child care and health care help propel families toward achieving self-sufficiency and peaceful lives.

MFIP:
The House version would impose a penalty of $200/month on families receiving MFIP and federal housing subsidies. The Senate bill eliminates any such housing penalty as well as the current $125/month penalty for each disabled family member who receives Supplemental Security Income. The Senate version also reduces the weekly work requirements for MFIP participants who are enrolled in post-secondary education or job training from 20 hours per week to 10 hours per week.

Child Care:
The House bill cuts $68.6 million in child care funding by continuing a rate freeze for child care providers at the 2001 reimbursement rates, which threatens the viability of many of our child care centers. Not only does the Senate bill not include these cuts, it decreases parental co-payments shouldered by the working poor and widens eligibility to subsidized child care.

Health Care:
Under the House bill, more than 30,000 hard-working low-income Minnesotans will lose eligibility for MinnesotaCare. The Senate version avoids further cuts to MinnesotaCare, expands eligibility to the program, repeals the $5,000 annual benefits cap for adults without children, and allows small employers to purchase MinnesotaCare coverage for their employees.

Go to the Affirmative Options website to see a side-by-side comparison of the House and Senate versions.

Health and Human Services Conference Committee:


State Leadership:

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5. House, Senate, and Governor's Budget Proposals Compared
The Minnesota Budget Project has two comparisons of proposed budgets. One explores their impact on Minnesota's young people, and the other looks at their consequences on working people. Both find that the House and Governor's reluctance to raise revenues has led to budget plans which would create real harm to the state, while the Senate's greater flexibility in raising revenues allows it to make needed investments in the state's future and reverse some of the worst of the cuts made in the 2003 Legislative Session.

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6. Peace in the Streets - This Saturday
Celebrate peace with an evening of non-violent hip hop, featuring music, speakers, break dancing, and tagging competitions followed by a Domestic Peace Pledge Ceremony. This Saturday, May 28, 100 Men Take A Stand Presents 80's Hip Hop: Peace In The Streets. Everyone is welcome.

Peace in the Streets - Sat. May 28, 7-11 p.m.
Capri Theater at the corner of W. Broadway and Oliver Ave. North - Minneapolis.

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7. 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. You can get involved:

  • Volunteer-yourself or with a group-at Tubman Family Alliance
  • 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.

 

This Public Policy Updated Published May 24, 2005.
Editor: Randy Schubring

Writer: Margaret Ostrander

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