Local elections are coming up on November 7th, 2023! Have you thought about who you are voting for and why local elections are just as important as voting in the presidential election? Read on to learn more about the power your vote in local elections holds and how to prepare for your local elections! 

Why are local elections important? 

Policy change starts at the local level and it is your right to vote! Your vote in local elections gives you the opportunity to advocate and express what issues are most important to you based on your needs and the needs of your community. Local elections tend to have a lower turnout, which actually increases the power of your individual vote. Voting for officials in your local elections has the most direct impact on your daily life. Some major policy topics that local officials regulate include education, housing, transportation, and accessibility.  

“Democracy itself depends on the full accessibility of all of its processes.” 

Accessibility in local communities can take several different forms. It can be seen as physical accessibility (wheelchair accessible buildings or parks), visual and/or audio accommodations to access city information, or cognitively accessible materials that use plain language.  

Despite the importance of accessibility and the impact it has on individual lives, implementation at the local level can still pose challenges for individuals with disabilities. Services like special education services are critical for children with disabilities. Problems in schools can disproportionately affect children with disabilities and people of color. This further emphasizes the importance of why it is necessary to vote in all elections to ensure that elected officials are individuals who acknowledge this disparity and have a plan to address accessibility related issues and policies. 

Engaging local elected officials as allies can result in success in getting funding for new accessible playgrounds from the legislature as we saw during 2023 for Apple Valley, Saint Paul, and Fridley. This is just one example of how people at the local level can work together to improve their community!    

Who are you voting for? City and Town Elections 

Now that you know why it’s important to vote, you might be wondering just who you are voting for and what do they do within your community. Check out the table below for key individuals who are on your local election ballot (there may be some differences from city to city): 

To find a list of specific candidates in your local election, enter your home address into Polling Place Finder and then click on “List of Candidates”. There is also a link to find your Sample Ballot. What’s On My Ballot? 

Where do I vote? 

Where you vote, also known as your polling place, is determined by your current home address. Your polling place can be found using Polling Place Finder tool. 

Who is eligible to vote?  

To be eligible to vote in Minnesota, you must be: a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old on Election Day, a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days, and not currently incarcerated for a felony. A new law makes it possible to vote immediately upon release from incarceration:  Voting With A Criminal Record 

Voter Registration 

Additionally, you must be registered to vote. You can register early, or you can register on Election Day.  

• Early Registration (Deadline: October 17th, 2023) 

• You can register online  

• Online registration must be completed by 10/17/2023 at 11:59pm 

• You can register on paper 

• Paper registration must be submitted by 10/17/2023 at 5:00pm 

Missed the early registration deadline? No problem! You can still register to vote on Election Day at your polling place. 

• Registration on Election Day (November 7, 2023) 

To register at your polling place on Election Day, you will need to bring one proof of residence document. A list of proof of residence documents can be found on this Election Day Registration Factsheet.  

• Vouching  

• If you do not have a proof of residence document, an already registered voter can accompany you to your polling place and confirm your address, allowing you to vote. 
• This process is known as “vouching”.  
• A registered voter can vouch for up to eight additional voters.  

Once you have registered to vote, you have multiple options for how you can vote: 

• Vote Early (Absentee Voting) 

• Requesting An Accessible Ballot: Voters with print disabilities may request an absentee ballot that will be sent electronically. However, it must be returned by mail or to a local election office according to the criteria listed below.  
• By mail 

• To vote early by mail, you must apply to have an absentee ballot mailed to you (Note: you do not need be registered to vote to apply for your absentee ballot). 
• Once you have received your absentee ballot, read the instructions carefully. 
• You will need a witness when you vote and complete your ballot. The witness must be a registered Minnesota voter or a notary (public officials who are authorized to perform certain legal formalities, including witnessing signatures on documents). Notaries can be found at local banks or credit unions, or shipping stores and office supply stores. Notaries can often help for free or for a fee. 
• Your mail-in ballot must be returned by Election Day to be counted. 

• In-person 

• You can vote early in-person with an absentee ballot as well. Please review the list of early voting locations and their hours here.   
• You must complete early in-person voting by November 6th, 2023.  

• Agent Delivery 

• If you are unable to physically get to your polling place due to being hospitalized or by reason of disability, you may be eligible for agent delivery of your ballot. Follow this link for more information about agent delivery.  

• Vote on Election Day 

• Polling places will close at 8pm on Election Day, however, as long as you are in line by 8pm, you can still vote!  
• Curbside Voting: If you have a disability that prevents you from going inside to a polling station, you can vote in your car or outside the polling station. Two election workers of different political parties will come outside and provide you a ballot. They will then take the ballot inside after you complete it and have it counted. This was a true resource when COVID was at its peak! 

Summary of Important Voting Dates & Deadlines 

For additional information on when to vote or when local elections occur, please see the Minnesota Elections Calendar and this list of Regularly Scheduled 2023 Local Elections. 

Accessibility Supports: There are many supports to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to vote.  

• Accessibility 

• You have the right to sign in orally – you have the right to confirm who you are and to ask another person to sign for you if you cannot sign your name.  
• Minnesota Polling Place Accessibility ALL polling places must be accessible 
• Voter Assistance 

• A voter who requires assistance in marking a ballot (due to blindness, disability, or inability to read or write) may be given assistance by a person of the voter’s choice. 

• Ballot Marking Machines 

• Used to provide privacy and independence for those who cannot use a pen.  
• A voter can have their ballot read to them using headphones 

• Minnesota Voter Factsheets  

• Includes downloadable PDF and links to videos with ASL interpretation. 

Election Videos: The Arc Minnesota has some short videos on voting topics that anyone, including self-advocates can utilize to learn about the importance of voting and how to vote. These are nice reviews of commonly asked questions about voting: 

• Why Vote 
• Voting Rights 
• How to Register 
• Ways to Vote  

Making A Plan to Vote! It is important to make a plan to vote in the upcoming election, regardless of how you plan to vote. Ensure that you have transportation and any support needed to vote. Remind your family, friends and co-workers to vote. Do not give up your opportunity to participate in democracy!   

The post Local Elections: Use Your Power to Vote first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Local Elections: Use Your Power to Vote appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

ACTION NEEDED!

We need your support to increase wages and workforce participation for people with disabilities!

The House Human Services Omnibus bill (HF 2847) includes the Governor’s proposal to phase out the outdated practice of paying people with disabilities subminimum wage. It also strategically invests in resources to support providers to transition their business models. Please review this informational one-pager.

We need leadership and key legislators to understand why this change is important and why they need to support and pass Governor Walz’s proposal NOW!

Here is how you can help:

1. Copy and paste the email list and message below into a new email.
2. Personalize the message!
3. Send.
4. Share with your family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors!

Email Template

To:

rep.melissa.hortman@house.mn.gov; rep.jamie.long@house.mn.gov; sen.kari.dziedzic@senate.mn; sen.bobby.champion@senate.mn; rep.mohamud.noor@house.mn.gov; sen.john.hoffman@senate.mn; rep.peter.fischer@house.mn.gov; rep.dave.baker@house.mn.gov; sen.omar.fateh@senate.mn; sen.jim.abeler@senate.mn

CC:

benjamin.brinks@house.mn.gov; isabel.rolfes@house.mn.gov; abdihamid.badri@senate.mn; alexis.varner@senate.mn; sebastian.gonzalez-navarro@house.mn.gov; david.zak@senate.mn; Jared.Margolis@house.mn.gov; Emilie.Boehm@house.mn.gov; chris.meyer@senate.mn; christina.wilson@senate.mn

Subject: Phase Out Subminimum Wages Now!

Email Body:
(We encourage you to personalize this message!)

Dear Legislative Leaders,

The Minnesota Legislature has a historic opportunity to end the outdated, discriminatory practice of paying people with disabilities less than minimum wage. Please support the Governor’s proposal (included in the House Human Services Omnibus bill, HF 2847) to increase wages and workforce participation for people with disabilities. This bill will phase out subminimum wages and strategically invests in providers to support the transition of their business models.

Decades ago, Minnesota led the effort to provide people with disabilities meaningful opportunities to work in their communities. Where Minnesota was once at the forefront of these efforts, the state now lags behind. Despite being less populated than about half of the country, Minnesota has the most workers paid at subminimum wage per capita in the nation. Some subminimum wage workers in Minnesota earn as little as 7 cents per hour.

This bill advances the civil rights and economic inclusion of people with disabilities in Minnesota by expanding statewide infrastructure to support people with disabilities in competitive employment and ending the use of subminimum wages. You can find more information here as well as a non-exhaustive list of supporters.

This practice does not align with Minnesota’s values and this change is long overdue. Please end this civil rights violation and join me on the right side of disability rights history in ending this antiquated practice!

Sincerely,

[First and Last Name]

[City, MN]

The post Action Alert: Phase Out Subminimum Wage first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Action Alert: Phase Out Subminimum Wage appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Here we will detail the information shared in the three-part information series. We will help you explore:

• Housing options
• Creative, individualized services
• Other innovations that can support you in a home of your own
• Opportunities to join a movement toward long-term change.

With questions about information in the Resource Guide, or to get more support from The Arc, here’s how you can contact us:

• Office Phone Number: 952-920-0855
• Help Desk Phone Number: 1-866-797-1122
• Toll Free Phone Number: 833-450-1494
• Online Ask an Advocate

Skip to: Session 1: Know Your Rights in a Time of Crisis | Session 2: Plan and Explore Your Housing Options | Session 3: Change is Gonna Come

Session 1: Know Your Rights in a Time of Crisis

10:30 am – 11:45 am
April 27, 2022

Facebook Zoom Link with CART and ASL: https://bit.ly/3xBmNrM

Description:
Is your group home closing? Are you worried about services being terminated? During this session, experts will help you understand your rights in a time of crisis. Together, we will explore some options if your supports are at risk.

Presenters:
Chad Wilson – Minnesota Disability Law Center Staff Attorney

• Chad Wilson is a Staff Attorney with the Minnesota Disability Law Center (Legal Aid – Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid), primarily working with clients with Developmental Disabilities. His practice focuses on assisting clients with accessing support and services necessary for full community integration. He also helps client with issues of access and discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

Bud Rosenfield – Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (OMHDD)

• Barnett (Bud) Rosenfield was appointed as the Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities (OMHDD) with Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities For most of his career, Bud has represented people who have disabilities, first as an attorney and then as supervisor with the Minnesota Disability Law Center. His appointment as Ombudsman for Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities reflects his commitment to and passion for doing protection and advocacy work and promoting disability rights and justice.

Session Information and Resources:

Chad Wilson’s Presentation

Learning objectives of this presentation:

• What are your rights if a 245D providers issues a notice of service termination?
• How do I appeal a notice of service termination?
• How do I get more time to find a new home?

Bud Rosenfield’s Presentation

Learning objectives of this presentation:

• What are Assisted Living Facilities and what are the rules that these facilities have to follow?
• What protections and rights do people living in Assisted Living Facilities have when the provider wants to terminate services? (Service terminations and non-renewals)
• What if the Assisted Living Facility closes?

Session 2: Plan and Explore Your Housing Options

10:00 am – 12:00pm
May 11, 2022

Facebook Zoom link with slides: https://bit.ly/3bbd0kG

Description:
The workforce shortage is scary, but with some planning and creative options, you can be in a stable home of your own. Learn about planning services that can help prevent a crisis and build informed choices about your housing options. Learn from disabled people and their trusted supporters about what has worked for them.

Presenters:

Alicia Munson – The Arc Minnesota; Chief Program Officer
Nora Ulseth – The Arc Minnesota; Individual Advocacy Manager
Ellen Baudler – The Arc Minnesota; Director of Housing Services
Gene Martinez – The Arc Minnesota; Legislative Advocacy Coordinator
Karli Harguth – The Arc Minnesota; Self Advocacy Associate
Joan Breslin Larson – The Arc Minnesota; Volunteer

Session Information and Resources:

PowerPoint slideshow

Overview:

• Planning tools and resources
  • What works best for you individually
  • Integrated Supports Star
  • The Arc Minnesota Help Desk
  • The Arc Minnesota Website
  • Disability HUB
    • HB101 (Housing Benefits 101)
      • https://mn.hb101.org/a/21/
      • https://mn.hb101.org/a/9/
    • Housing access and stabilization services
    • Individualized home supports
    • Integrated community supports
    • Individual and community housing options
    • Consumer directed community supports information
    • Minnesota STAR program

Questions asked at session 2:

• Q: What providers have housing (list)?
  • A:Someone can search by Zip Code radius for licensed residential providers who have openings at MN Openings
• Q. For individualized home supports, are staff able to provide support to more than one person at a time under the DD waiver?  Example: 2 or 3 individuals all on DD waiver live together in a rented home. Can they share staff?
  • A: Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) or PCAs can provide support to more than one person in individualized home supports but it cannot be at the same time. There is no sharing of staff allowed. To share staff, a person should use CDCS Shared Services
• Q: In the apartment model, is there a limit to the number of hours that staff work?  If there is 24-hour staff support then this is like a community residential setting, and there is a moratorium on CRS.
  • A: 24-hour staffing is permitted in apartments. This is not a community residential setting because the apartment is the housing setting and it is unlicensed. The housing setting would be licensed in a community residential setting.
• Q: Can we get a list of the Life Sharing Agencies?
  • A: Able Light (formerly Bethesda) and Lutheran Social Services (LSS) are the two Life Sharing agencies right now. More providers may be enrolling in the months ahead.
• Q: Can you combine Life Sharing or/and Caregiver living Expense Programs with CDCS?
  • A: A person providing Caregiver Living may provide services under the Consumer Directed Community Supports (CDCS) option under any HCBS disability waiver in Minnesota. Caregiver Living Expenses
  • A person using Life Sharing cannot use CDCS because Family Residential Services pays the caregiver to provide support, and that is licensed under Adult Family Foster Care. Family Residential Services
• Q: How do you access more information on what is allowable under CDCS? We use to have county case management and now we have community case management and it is quite discrepant!
  • A: Information on allowable or unallowable expenses can be found on the Department of Human Service’s website on CDCS:CBSM CDCS  Another helpful place to get information on this topic and other issues related to CDCS is to read the CDCS Consumer Handbook

Session 3: A Change is Gonna Come

10:30 am – 11:45 am
May 25, 2022

Facebook Zoom Link with CART and ASL: https://bit.ly/3xMk8f2

Description:

We need to make long-term change to help address the workforce shortage and housing crisis. Learn about working being done at the Capitol to stabilize support professions and expand access to housing. Be a part of a movement toward systems and social change.

Presenters:

Andrea Zuber – The Arc Minnesota; Chief Executive Officer
Julia Burkstaller – The Arc Minnesota; Public Policy Director
Maren Hulden – Minnesota Disability Law Center; Legal Services Advocacy Project

Session Information and Resources:

Julia and Maren’s presentation

Presentation overview:

• 2022 Legislative Session
• HHS policy-only bill
  • Service termination appeal rights (HF 2925 / SF 2974)
  • Accessible housing (HF 2695 / SF 2603)
  • Shared services (HF 2925 / SF 2974)
  • Support coordination improvements (HF 2925 / SF 2974)

• PCA increase and flexibility   (HF 2721 / SF 2967)
  • 40-hour cap (HF 3199 / SF 2772)
  • PCA driving (HF 4085 / Sf 3456)
• Life Sharing (HF 3919 / SF 3416)
• Changes to Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) (HF 4273 / SF 3645)

Andrea Zuber’s speech addressing social change and Brilliant Truths

• Navigate to 31:02 in the recording

Download this guide.

The post A Home of One’s Own Resource Guide first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post A Home of One’s Own Resource Guide appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

The latest budget forecast shows a $7.7 billion surplus for the Minnesota budget. This is the largest surplus ever recorded.

E-12 Education

Gov. Walz is proposing increases for a number of different programs affecting students with disabilities. Education is a critical service, from pre-school, K-12 to higher education options, people with disabilities deserve opportunities.

Those proposals are summarized below.

$22 million: Student Support Personnel: Funding to address shortages of staff and provide for students’ social, emotional, academic and physical health.

$6 million: School Linked Behavioral Health Grants: Grants to address mental health needs in schools including COVID related issues. In-person services, training, supplies and BIPOC students are funded.

$15 million: Retain and Recruit Education Support Professionals: 20 hours of training for all special education staff annually, plus paying exam fees for qualified individuals to provide services.

$6.6 million: Expand Competency-Based Education: Expansion of evidenced based models building on what students know as an alternative to traditional grading methods.

$5 million: State Funding Special Education Separate Site and Programs: Additional funding for the highest need students who receive special education services.

$683,000: Reduce funding disparities for Young Children with Disabilities: Increased funding for students who need special education in kindergarten settings to be on par with other students.

$540,000: Specific Learning Disability (SLD) Criteria Change and Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS): Updating the rule to remove the discrepancy route to eligibility and other rule changes.

$3.6 million: Provision of Special Instruction: Proposing to expand eligibility for special education services until age 22, consistent with federal law from age 21.

$4.9 million: Intermediate School District Mental Health Innovative Grant Program: Temporary grant program for services at a Level Four setting to provide mental health services for students at intermediate school districts.

$1 million: Intermediate District Support: Five intermediate school districts will receive staff development grants for providing a full-service community school model.

$900,000: Expand Targeted Services: Schools would be able to receive extended time revenue for serving students who have residential placements during the summer.

$1 million: Special Education Life Skills & Vocational Skills Secondary Transition Programs: Up to 25 schools would receive grants to upgrade transitional services for students 18-21 to provide life skills and vocational skills.

$45.6 million: Special Education Cross Subsidy: The Governor recommends cross-subsidy reduction aid be increased to reduce the state total cross-subsidy per average daily membership (ADM) steady at the FY 2019 level of $807. The special education cross-subsidy refers to general education funding that is used to pay for special education costs.

Property Tax Aids & Credits

Tax aids and credits can serve as an important source of additional income for individuals with disabilities and their families. Giving individuals discretion to allocate tax credits to things they choose can be an important way to achieve more equity.

$703 million: Direct Payments to Minnesotans: The Governor recommends a one-time direct payment to Minnesotans. The one-time payment would equal $350 for married joint and head of household filers and $175 for single and married separate filers. To be eligible for the payment, a taxpayer must have filed either a 2020 income tax return by October 15, 2021 or filed for a 2020 property tax refund by 12/31/21.

Expand the K-12 Education Tax Credit: Eligibility would be based on Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) instead of total household income and the phase-out threshold would go from $33,500 to $70,000 in 2022. Revenue decrease of $12.2 million in 22-23.

Expand the Child and Dependent Care Credit: Increasing the phase-out threshold from $53,100 to $70,000, removing the marriage requirement to claim the newborn credit, and increasing the credit by 30% over the federal tax credit (but not in excess of actual expenditures) for taxable years 2022 and 2023. Revenue decrease of $17.9 million in 22-23.

$1 billion: Frontline Worker Pay: Payments of $1500 per eligible person awarded to workers who provided services during the COVID-19 pandemic in higher risk occupations in the medical and service industry. Occupations that are eligible will be determined by the legislature.

Health & Human Services

The Arc Minnesota supports investments in accessible affordable health care, and services that allow people to choose how they live and who provides supports.

$47.8 million: Increasing Health Care Affordability for Minnesotans: Individuals who have incomes too high to qualify for MinnesotaCare would be eligible for a buy-in option. The proposal would establish another option in public health care programs. Premium decreases in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) set to expire at the end of 2022 would be continued.

$1.6 million: Coverage for Undocumented Children: The Governor recommends expanding the MinnesotaCare program to provide coverage to undocumented children under the age of 19 beginning January 1, 2024. This state-only program is expected to serve an additional 1700 children.

$6.5 million: Continuous Medical Assistance Eligibility for Children Under 21: Eligibility for children under 21 would be extended to 12 months of continuous eligibility unless cancellation is requested, children have moved out of state, or pass away. After 12 months, the standard MA redetermination rules will apply.

$967 million (General) $529 million (Federal TANF): Stabilizing Working Minnesotans: Changes to the calculation of Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) to calculate benefits on a six month reporting schedule than a monthly reporting schedule, while aligning benefits more closely with SNAP food assistance and housing support.

$82 million: Addressing Deep Poverty: People at the deepest poverty level who receive General Assistance would see benefits rise from $203 per month to $344 per month. The benefits would be indexed to inflation in the future. This would be the first increase in benefits since 1986.

$35 million: Emergency Services Funding for Shelters: Additional funding to provide shelter for homeless individuals and address needs related to COVID-19 for increased safety.

$77.5 million: Service Delivery Transformation Continuation: Service Delivery Transformation Continuation: The Governor recommends funding to support continued efforts to transform the human service delivery system towards an integrated, person-centered experience for individuals and families accessing human services programs.

$5 million: Building Assets for Minnesota Families: Increases the lifetime match from $6000 to $9000 for the Family Assets for Independence program that encourages low-income families to save. Also allows participants to contribute to 529 Plans and contribute to emergency savings accounts.

$10.5 million: Expanding Children’s Psychiatric Beds: The funding would be issued through a competitive request for proposal process to hospitals or mental health providers to expand services for children in need of acute psychiatric care.

$954,000: Expanding Support for Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs): Additional funding for startup grants for new PRTFs. These facilities provide active treatment at an inpatient level of care under the direction of a physician, seven days per week, to youth under age 21 with complex mental health needs and their families, based on medical necessity.

$540,000: Expanding Mobile Transition Units and Person-Centered Discharges: Recommends expanding mobile transition units and strengthening person-centered discharge planning activities serving children and adults.

$372,000: Expanding Intensive Treatment in Foster Care: Recommends expanding eligibility for the Intensive Treatment in Foster Care Medical Assistance service to include children at risk of an out-of-home placement. This investment will allow for earlier interventions, reducing the need for children to be separated from their families and placed in foster care or residential treatment.

$3,000: American Indian Culturally Responsive Rate in Early Intensive Developmental Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI): Recommends changing eligibility for an enhanced reimbursement for (EIDBI) services to promote culturally responsive care offered to American Indian children. A provider may receive the enhanced rate if they are certified by a tribal nation.

$245,000: Children’s Mental Health Community of Practice: Recommends creating a Community of Practice focused exclusively on children’s mental health issues. This network of families, advocates, researchers, providers, and other professionals will be tasked with identifying shared solutions to behavioral health issues facing children and will attempt to identify gaps in care.

$0: (22-23) $20 million (24-25) Expanding Mobile Crisis Grants and Transition to Community Initiative: Recommends additional, ongoing funding of mobile crisis grants to strengthen the state’s mobile crisis infrastructure and help improve access to crisis services by supporting counties and tribes to staff 24-hour mobile crisis lines.

$261,000: Rate Increase for Adult Day Treatment Services: Recommends a rate increase for adult day treatment services. Adult day treatment services stabilize an individual’s mental health and improve independent living and socialization skills.

$0: (22-23) $2.2 million (24-25): Housing Transition Services through Housing Stabilization Services (HSS): Recommends ongoing funding to assist people using Housing Stabilization Services Medical Assistance benefit as they move to stable housing in the community. The proposal would provide up to $3,000 per individual in moving assistance to cover rent or security deposits, utility set-up, and home furnishing.

$0 (22-23) $763,000 (24-25): Housing Stabilization Services Eligibility Staff: Recommends establishing permanent funding for additional staffing that assess eligibility for individuals applying for Housing Stabilization Services financial assistance.

$0 (22-23) $11 million (24-25): Community Living Infrastructure Program: Recommends permanent funding for the Community Living Infrastructure Program. This grant program offers financial assistance to individuals with disabilities struggling with housing stability so they can move out of group homes or other congregate settings and return to permanent housing in the community. The program can cover rent and security deposits, utility set-up, and furnishing costs.

$0 (22-23) $3 million (24-25): Increase Transitional Housing Program: Proposes expanding the existing transitional housing program. This program is the primary state program that funds temporary housing and wrap-around support services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness as they prepare to transition to long-term housing stability.

$3.6 million: Emergency Background Study Credit: Recommends funding to credit DHS-regulated providers for costs incurred from emergency background studies conducted during the peacetime emergency following resubmission of studies for full federal and state compliance.

$8.9 million: Direct Care and Treatment Electronic Health Record: Recommends funding to continue the development of an electronic health record system for the department’s Direct Care and Treatment programs. Currently, Direct Care and Treatment is not compliant with a Department of Health mandate to have an electronic health record system.

($14.3 million – General) $14.3 million – HCAF: Adjust HCAF Appropriation for Medical Assistance. The Governor recommends increasing the Health Care Access Fund appropriation for Medical Assistance (MA). A corresponding decrease in MA spending occurs in the general fund to fund other health care priorities.

$1.5 million: Disability as a Health Equity Issue: Recommends funding to reduce health disparities among people with disabilities. Funding will support a multi-faceted, cross-agency, cross-sector approach to reduce disability related health disparities; create a health surveillance plan and implementation of community needs assessment.

$5.5 million: Safety Improvements for Long-Term Care Facilities: Recommends the establishment of a new competitive grant program that would provide support to state licensed

long-term care facilities for projects to reduce the transmission risk of COVID and other contagious respiratory conditions.

$22 million: Revitalize Health Care Workforce: Revitalize Health Care Workforce: Recommends a comprehensive workforce package to address the critical challenges in growing and revitalizing Minnesota’s health care workforce to adequately serve our rural and urban underserved families and children. The workforce crisis has been has been challenged even more by COVID-19.

$7.7 million: MNSure Technology Modernization: Recommends a series of investments to upgrade and replace the IT technology that supports the state health care exchange. These investments will transform the health care application and eligibility determination system and add self-service for consumers, and better access for systems caseworkers.

$375,000: MN Council on Disability Capacity Building: Additional staffing is recommended so the Council has the capacity to fully carry out its statutory mission.

Public Safety

Proposals to address public safety and support community initiatives.

$1.2 million: Office of Justice Program Investment: Recommends making an increased, ongoing investment that will enable the Department of Public Safety to address service gaps and improve quality of services, housing services and community outreach.

$12.5 million: Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Intervention and Prevention: Recommends investing in programs and services for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse. Funding would be used for competitive grants and for grant administration.

$2 million: Alternatives to Juvenile Detention – Community Outpost: Recommends funding to establish and maintain community outpost houses, which are home-bases to police officers that provide community services including basic health care, access to social services, youth programming, and a variety of classes to improve economic and familial well-being.

$10 million: Community-based Public Safety Grants: Recommends ongoing funding for grants for a variety of community-based public safety programs, including those related to issues such as pretrial services, probation, truancy, elder abuse, youth intervention, neighborhood watch, and resident engagement.

$2.8 million: Alternatives to Juvenile Detention – Youth Conflict Resolution Centers: Recommends funding additional youth conflict resolution centers, which are community spaces to facilitate conflict resolution including courses in community awareness, health and wellness, entrepreneurship, leadership, and mental health. These centers are primarily for African American youth and are intended to reduce youth violence.

$750,000: Transitional Supportive Housing for Survivors of Domestic and Sexual Violence: Recommends funding transitional housing programming to provide medium-to-longer term housing (up to 24 months) and advocacy services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence to aid in their recovery and healing. Funding would be used to provide grants to 5-10 service providers.

$900,000: Disparities Reduction and Delinquency Prevention Subawards: Recommends expanding grant funding for disparities reduction and delinquency prevention programming in the juvenile justice system.

Human Rights

Upholding the human rights of individuals with disabilities is core to The Arc Minnesota’s mission.

$228,000: Equity and Inclusion Strategic Compliance: Recommends funding to add capacity to the Department’s Office of Equity and Inclusion for Minnesota Businesses. This request would provide the department with needed capacity to help ensure more efficient and effective enforcement of the state’s Workforce Certificates and Equal Pay Certificates.

$383,000: Prohibit Rental Discrimination Based on Public Housing Assistance Status: Recommends providing funding to investigate charges of source of income discrimination in public housing. This request would also update public assistance status protections under the Minnesota Human Rights Act to ensure that renters who access housing choice vouchers (“Section 8”) are treated equally to other renters.

Agriculture

Provisions to reduce hunger or related to needs related to agriculture.

$3 million: Hunger Relief: Recommends increasing grants to Second Harvest Heartland to provide more protein, milk, and surplus agriculture to families facing hunger.

$975,000: Legalizing Adult-Use Cannabis: Recommends funding for the safe and responsible legalization of cannabis for adults in Minnesota, which will include a fiscal impact for the Department of Agriculture. A new Cannabis Management Office would be responsible for the implementation of the regulatory framework for adult-use cannabis, along with the medical cannabis program, and a program to regulate hemp and hemp-derived products. Many individuals with disabilities may choose to access legal cannabis.

Housing Finance

People with disabilities benefit greatly from accessible affordable housing that truly meets the desire of people to live in the community. Housing is a basic human right.

$100 million: Community Stabilization: Recommends a one-time increase in funding to preserve and improve existing housing commonly referred to as Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH). Investing in existing housing is an important and cost-effective way to maintain housing that is currently affordable to low-income households. In recent years the affordability of housing throughout the state has been eroded as older apartments and single-family homes are purchased and upscaled, leading to increased rents or home values.

$10 million: Housing Trust Fund – Rental Assistance: Recommends an increase in funding for the Housing Trust Fund program to provide rental assistance for individuals and families. The state’s rental assistance program helps meet the overall need in the state that is not met through federal programs. Only one out of every four individuals/families that is income-qualified for federal rent receives it.

$19.5 million: Family Homelessness Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP): Recommends an increase in funding for the Family Homelessness Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP). Significant one-time federal resources, including the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance program, will run out in 2022, leaving many renters one life incident away from losing their housing without adequate homelessness prevention resources.

$12 million: Strengthen the Supportive Housing Model: Recommends an increase in funding to strengthen supportive housing for individuals and families who are at risk of or have experienced homelessness. Certain costs—such as front desk and security costs— are needed for permanent supportive housing developments to operate effectively; however, many do not have a reliable or coordinated source of funding.

Employment & Economic Development

There are many employment supports and economic assistance benefiting people with disabilities.

$170 million: Broadband Development: Recommends one-time funding for the State’s Border-to-Border Broadband Grant program. This funding would continue the work of the program, which is a competitive matching-fund grant program, designed to act as a catalyst to public and private investments in broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas of the state. Greater access to broadband is needed for persons with disabilities.

$11.78 million: Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance: Recommends $11.748 million from the general fund in FY 2023 only and applying a 0.6% employer premium rate to employee wages beginning in calendar year 2024 to establish a Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance program.

The Governor recommends allowing employees to pay for one-half of the premium rate. In FY 2024 only.

$50 million: Nonprofit Resiliency & Recovery Fund: Recommends one-time funding to create the Nonprofit Resiliency and Recovery Fund, to provide financial support to nonprofits because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds would be distributed through a randomized selection process, and nonprofits that provide essential health and human services would be prioritized, alongside carveouts of $10 million each for culturally specific organizations and small nonprofits located in Greater Minnesota. To be eligible, nonprofits must be located within the state of Minnesota and must have been adversely impacted due to COVID-19.

$104 million: Earned Sick and Safe Time: Recommends statutory changes to require employers to provide employees one hour of earned sick and safe time for every 30 hours worked up to a maximum of 48 hours per year. This earned sick and safe time could be used for the employee’s own health condition or to care for an ill family member, or for certain absences due to domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking.

$160 million: Safe Housing for the Elderly and Vulnerable Adults: Recommends statutory changes to include assisted living and assisted living with dementia care facilities, as licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), to the list of State Licensed Facilities under the Department’s Construction Codes and Licensing Division (CCLD) jurisdiction. Assisted Living is the only remaining type of housing in Minnesota serving vulnerable adults not under CCLD jurisdiction.

$256,000: Advancing Application Accessibility: Recommends improving the accessibility of state technology for Minnesotans with a disability by conducting an evaluation of the accessibility of executive branch software applications and online services, and by identifying opportunities to enhance accessibility. Improved services to the disability community is the goal.

$150,000: Supporting Accessible Technology in State Government: Recommends providing additional funding for Minnesota IT Services (MNIT’s) Office of Accessibility. This proposal would provide ongoing support to efforts enhancing accessible government for all Minnesotans. The recommended funding would allow the office to continue current services with increased personnel costs.

Administration

Funding for state government agencies and related enterprises. Agencies like the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities are part of Administration.

$1 million: Enterprise Language Access Services: Recommends providing translation services for state agencies through a newly established Office of Enterprise Translations within the Department of Administration. The Office would provide in-house translation services for written material and additional services.

$1 million: Cross-Agency Coordination – Children’s Cabinet: Recommends providing dedicated funding for the Children’s Cabinet to align the funding model with the practices of other states and to provide coordination among agencies and engagement with Minnesotans on issues impacting children, including: education strategies from birth onward; early education and child care.

$350 million: COVID-19 Emergency Response: Recommends an account be established for emergency response efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This flexible account provides funding for the state to quickly and appropriately respond to changing conditions and allows for the allocation of resources when and where they are most needed. Funding has been needed throughout the pandemic to respond to new challenges and promote public health goals.

$48 million: Earned Sick and Safe Time: Recommends statutory changes to require employers to provide employees one hour of earned sick and safe time for every 30 hours worked up to a maximum of 48 hours per year. This earned sick and safe time could be used for the employee’s own health condition or to care for an ill family member, or for certain absences due to domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking.

Read more about Governor Walz’s supplemental budget proposal here.

Written by Gene Martinez, Legislative Advocacy Coordinator 

The post Gov. Walz’s 2022 Supplemental Budget Recommendations first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Gov. Walz’s 2022 Supplemental Budget Recommendations appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Here is what the proposal would mean for people with disabilities and their families:

Home and Community-Based Services

$150 billion is being invested in Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) over 10 years to eliminate waiting lists for services and bolster pay for direct care workers. Additionally, the bill assists making the Money Follows the Person program permanent to help people with disabilities who want to leave congregate care and transition to live in their own home and community with the services and supports they choose.

Education and Child Care

The act would invest $390 billion in universal pre-school for all 3- and 4-year-olds. Additionally, $160 million is being invested in IDEA Part D (legislation that ensures students with disabilities are provided with free, appropriate, tailored education) to help develop training for personnel working with students with disabilities. $25 million is being invested for behavioral health needs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Under the universal preschool plan, parents will be able to send their children to a public school or childcare program of their choice. The effort is to ease financial burdens facing millions of families, particularly low-income parents with children. Moreover, States will need to create plans that prioritize increasing accessibility to inclusive childcare and pre-school programs for children with disabilities.

Housing

$150 billion investment in affordable housing supports, including funding for vouchers, rental assistance, and other public housing improvements. The proposed funding for new vouchers is estimated to help 138,000 people with disabilities receive affordable, accessible housing. The proposal also includes a $100 million investment in the Section 811 and 202 programs for people with disabilities and seniors to provide rental assistance to create more supportive housing.

Paid Leave

4 weeks of guaranteed paid and medical leave for all workers, which will help people with disabilities take time off for medical reasons and will help family members to provide care for a loved one without risk of losing their job.

Child Tax Credit

Extending the Child Tax Credit (CTC), which provides more than 35 million households up to $3,600 per year in tax cuts per child; the proposed legislation will extend this program for the year of 2022, providing payments to nearly 90% of American children. The legislation includes permanent refundability for the CTC.

Earned Income Tax Credit

The act will extend the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for around 17 million low-wage workers, which will help low-wage childless workers, many with disabilities, who have previously been taxed into deeper poverty.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Reforms

The proposed text would extend SSI to residents of Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories, which would finally eliminate a critical gap in SSI coverage and provide access to hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities who live in U.S. territories.

Health Care

The act would permanently expand Medicaid eligibility to millions of Americans who previously fell within the Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage gap; closing this coverage gap will allow up to 4 million uninsured Americans to gain access to coverage.

Other Disability Policy Proposals

The act includes disability employment supports, including funding for pre-apprenticeship programs and funding to businesses and organizations that are working to phase out programs that pay people with disabilities sub-minimum wage. It encourages transformation to competitive integrated employment and the phasing out of subminimum wage through providing grants to states. Additionally, investments would be made for Administration for Community Living grants to help expand community mental and behavioral health programs and funding for projects to upgrade the accessibility of public transportation services.

The proposals explained above could help improve the lives of millions of people with disabilities and their families. While it’s important that each of these proposals are well-funded, it is also important that in addition to proposals like this, we are actively transforming our systems to improve the lives of people with disabilities and their families. We must continue to work and strategize to identify flaws in these systems and create real and lasting change by thinking outside of systems solutions.

Written by Grace Seifert, State and Federal Policy Intern

The post What is included in the Build Back Better Act? first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post What is included in the Build Back Better Act? appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Like Minneapolis, people living in St. Paul have a chance to vote on whether the city can or cannot restrict rent increases.

Question 1 on St. Paul’s ballot is “Should the City adopt the proposed Ordinance limiting rent increases?”

The ordinance was written by a coalition of advocacy groups called Housing Equity Now Saint Paul (HENS). It limits residential rent increases to no more than 3 percent in a 12-month period, regardless of whether occupants change. The ordinance also directs the city to create a process for landlords to request an exception to the 3 percent limit based on the right to a reasonable return on investment.

A “yes” vote will allow price controls in the future. Advocates for the ordinance say that controlling rent prices will make costs more fixed and easier to understand for people living in the city. They say that price controls aid low-income renters who need stable and consistent rent.

A “no” vote would not allow limiting rent increases. Advocates against the ordinance argue that the rent control will create lower quality housing because landlords will not be able to cover the inflation costs of maintenance and equipment upgrades. They also note that no city in the nation has implemented a rent control measure as extensive as the St. Paul proposal.

If voters approve the ordinance, the city of St. Paul already has a plan ready for implementation. City leaders would be responsible for moving forward with the plan.

Early voting began on September 17th, and Election Day is on Tuesday Nov. 2nd. Please click here to find your nearest voting location.

Written by Grace Seifert, State and Federal Policy Intern 

The post What’s on the ballot in St. Paul this year? first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post What’s on the ballot in St. Paul this year? appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

2021 will be an extremely busy year for Minneapolis voters! In addition to offices like Mayor, City Council and others, there will be three ballot questions for Minneapolis voters to decide.

Ballot questions in Minneapolis:

1. Should the city of Minneapolis have a “strong mayor” system, where the Mayor would be declared the city’s chief executive officer and would have the ability to appoint heads of the city agencies?
2. Should the Minneapolis Police Department be removed and replaced with a Department of Public Safety, whose wide variety of functions would be determined through ordinance by the City Council and the Mayor?
3. Should the city of Minneapolis provide the City Council with the ability to control rent prices on private residential property?

Question 1

Question 1 addresses whether the mayor should become the chief executive of the city and have power become more centralized in the office (similar to the President of the United States in some ways).

Supporters of passing the question argue that if power is more centralized with the Mayor, the City of Minneapolis would be able to serve its residents more efficiently. “The city’s professional staff described Minneapolis’ system of dividing power between the mayor and the City Council as ‘highly inefficient and significantly influenced by personalities of individual elected officials’, according to the Charter Commission, the body in charge of the city’s constitution.”¹

Opponents of the question argue that if the mayor becomes the city’s chief executive, the residents of Minneapolis would have less of a say in how the government functions. Wards with higher percentages of white voter turnout in more affluent areas of the city already have a larger say in who gets elected. They believe this would result in more power for some communities by creating a direct pathway to the executive power of the mayor.

Question 2

Question 2 addresses if the Minneapolis Police Department should be removed and replaced with a Department of Public Safety.

Yes 4 Minneapolis, the group who wrote the question for the ballot, and other supporters argue the question is not an argument in favor of defunding the police. Instead, it is a proposal to open up additional methods and services that could help keep Minneapolis residents safe. While the number of police officers isn’t addressed in Question 2, those who support the passage of the second question also say the number of officers assigned to a city or neighborhood is not a one-size-fits-all solution. They believe that with the support of mental health and psychological professionals there can be an appropriate number of officers assigned to a neighborhood. It would not necessarily be proportional to population size, but a number that can still effectively and equitably serve the community as law enforcement.

The opponents of this proposition say it is unclear whether there would still be a police force under the broader category of the Department of Public Safety. No minimum number of police officers per members of the population is established in the ballot question and there are fears that if this law enforcement reform proposal is passed violent crime levels could spike. They also argue that the Chief of the Minneapolis Police Department, Medaria Arradondo, is hugely popular and well-respected in the community, and there’s no guarantee he or someone equally as respected would become the Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety.

Question 3

Question 3 asks if the City Council should have the ability to control residential rent prices.

Those who support the proposition say rent control could directly lead to making housing more affordable by preventing skyrocketing rent rates. They argue that nothing has changed in the housing market that could indicate there are a notable number of building managers whose intentions are to keep rental rates affordable for cost-burdened renters (the majority of whom are low-income renters of color). The process of gentrification—where the character of a low-income neighborhood is changed by high-income individuals and new businesses moving into the neighborhood—often results in the displacement of those who can’t afford to pay the newly increased rent or bills. If rent control is implemented by the City of Minneapolis, proponents assert that it could halt gentrification by attempting to eliminate one of the controls often used to oust low-income individuals from their houses/units.

Those in opposition to this question’s passage make the case that rent control could discourage developers from coming to the metro area, and to that end, rent control would limit the ability of developers and companies to build more affordable housing units. Most notably, they say rent control hasn’t succeeded in cities like New York and San Francisco. As a result of potentially lower profits due to rent control measures, opponents assert landlords may not reinvest in their properties and provide renters with safe and hygienic spaces to live.

Early voting began for the Minneapolis Municipal Election on September 17th, and Election Day is on Tuesday Nov. 2nd. Please click here to find your nearest voting location.

Sources:

1. Yahoo! Money, “’Strong Mayor’ charter amendment would restrain power of the Minneapolis City Council”

Written by Tim Schnell, Grassroots Organizing & Community Engagement Intern

The post What’s on the ballot in Minneapolis this year? first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post What’s on the ballot in Minneapolis this year? appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

When considering policy changes as it relates to HCBS, we strongly support innovative and transformational changes that promote human rights, a sense of belonging, and self-direction for people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. We need intentional policy development which centers self-determination and informed decision-making for people who have disabilities. Most importantly, it is essential to center people who have disabilities and their families in the development, implementation, and evaluation of these transformative policies. This not only works to advance the disability justice movement; we will also see a significant return on investment as a country when our fellow citizens who have disabilities are able to contribute and prosper.

We must ask Members of Congress to pass the Better Care Better Jobs Act. Intentional investment in our HCBS system is long overdue. They must pass this bill NOW so that we can move forward together to transform our system and our society so that people who have disabilities know they truly belong in their communities.

Click here to take action.

Andrea Zuber
Chief Executive Officer, The Arc Minnesota

Letters from the CEO is The Arc Minnesota’s new series of blog posts from CEO Andrea Zuber about our priorities and passions as an organization. Stay tuned for future updates.

The post Transforming Home and Community Based Services through the Better Care Better Jobs Act first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Transforming Home and Community Based Services through the Better Care Better Jobs Act appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) will not be implementing Community First Services and Supports (CFSS) in November 2021 as planned. Instead, DHS plans to implement this service at earliest, June 1, 2022.

What is CFSS?

DHS is implementing a transition from Personal Care Assistance (PCA) to Community First Services and Supports (CFSS). CFSS will expand people’s options on how they prefer to receive their services. People will have more choice in who provides their services as well as additional support for writing plans, more self-direction options, and the ability to purchase goods to aid a person’s independence. The eligibility requirements for CFSS will be the same as PCA. CFSS will also replace the Consumer Support Grant (CSG) program.

CFSS will cover the same main services as PCA:

• Activities of daily living, such as eating, bathing, grooming and transferring
• Health-related tasks
  • Instrumental activities of daily living, such as shopping, cooking, laundry and assistance with medications
• Observation and redirection of behavior.

People who use CFSS will have more options and supports:

• Unlike PCA, in CFSS a person’s spouse or the parent of a minor may serve as that person’s support worker.
• People may choose to purchase goods to aid in their independence.
• The CFSS budget model allows people to choose to be the employer of their support workers.
• The state provides a budget that the provider agency or the person may use to train workers on the individual needs of the person.
• The consultation services provider will provide education and support in writing the person’s plan.

Recent updates on the delay:

DHS is delayed in transitioning due to delayed federal approval on waiver and state plan amendments. The COVID-19 pandemic has demanded attention of state and federal staff elsewhere. However, DHS plans to gradually transition people from PCA to CFSS in the year to avoid a disruption of services.

What does this mean for people using PCA services?

DHS assures that this delay will not affect the ability to continue receiving services or access assessments to start services. DHS hopes that with the start date delay, they will have a better opportunity to transition seamlessly to ensure that people have equitable access to CFSS services.

Want to learn more about CFSS?

DHS has put together a video with information about the transition to CFSS, find it here.

Written by Grace Seifert, State and Federal Policy Intern 

The post Updates on Community First Services and Supports (CFSS) first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

The post Updates on Community First Services and Supports (CFSS) appeared first on The Arc Minnesota.

Combating poverty for people who have disabilities is a necessity. Many people who have disabilities struggle to survive on incomes at the federal poverty limit, while others are limited in the assets they can have and remain eligible for SSI, and Medical Assistance (MA) or Medicaid. While raising MA income standards and assets are welcome, there is a need for additional assistance.

There were discussions in the 2016 Presidential nominating contest within the Democratic Party on establishing a guaranteed income for people. A guaranteed income program provides each person selected to participate with a monthly cash grant. It could be hundreds or even thousands of dollars, depending on the scope of the program and funding available.

The guaranteed income’s purpose is to provide participants with additional financial security. Participants would know they could use those funds for childcare, out-of-pocket medical expenses, housing, food, education expenses, and other necessities. It might allow people to save money so they have an emergency fund in case they lose employment or face some other crisis. People who have disabilities would certainly benefit from this type of program.

The Arc Minnesota was able to meet recently with Andrea Inouye of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s office to discuss the Minneapolis Guaranteed Basic Income Demonstration Pilot. The City Council has approved $3 million dollars for the program. It is part of a city budget to spend federal funding received from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act. The city of St. Paul and Mayor Melvin Carter recently implemented a similar program called the People’s Prosperity Guaranteed Income Pilot.

According to Ms. Inouye, the program will allow 500 Minneapolis households with income at 50% of Area Median Income (AMI) or less to receive $500 per month for 24 months.

While The Arc Minnesota welcomes a guaranteed income pilot, there needs to be steps taken to ensure the participation of people who have disabilities in the program. One issue is whether an extra $500 per month will cause people to lose eligibility for Medical Assistance or MinnesotaCare. Another issue is what impact the $500 per month would have on other benefits like SNAP, MFIP or childcare assistance. Ms. Inoyoue said that the city is seeking waivers from the state or county as needed. She was glad to get the feedback about health care benefits.

Outreach for participation in the program should be fully accessible and written in plain language. All people should understand fully the impact on other benefit programs they receive if selected to participate in the pilot.

The Arc Minnesota will continue to monitor the progress on this guaranteed income pilot, provide input to Minneapolis, and pass on further information as it becomes available.

Written by Gene Martinez, The Arc Minnesota Legislative Advocacy Coordinator

The post Minneapolis Guaranteed Basic Income Demonstration Pilot first appeared on The Arc Minnesota.

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