ARRM News and Public Relations

Sen. David Hann visits Hammer

Saw this article in the MinnLocal paper; great effort from Hammer staff, families and self-advocates. They established relationships with elected officials, then broadcast those visits and the value of disability services to others via the local media. This is how it's done, folks! http://bit.ly/eV1lGe

Start making your legislator appointments for April 12th now!

The ARRM sponsored MN-CCD Tuesday at the Capitol is just over three weeks away. ARRM would like to encourage those planning on attending this event on Tuesday, April 12^th, to start setting up their legislative appointments now. You can find out who represents you by going to this website: http://www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/.

Dakota Communities Inc. and CCP will also be hosting April 12 MN-CCD event. In an effort to cut down on duplicate appointments with the same legislator, a spreadsheet has been created to track appointments with legislators. You can view the spreadsheet by clicking here.

Before setting up an appointment with your legislator, please check the spreadsheet to see if there is a time already set up. If there is, simply add your name to the list of attendees.

You can read more about the ARRM sponsored MN-CCD Tuesday at the Capitol here. We hope to see many of you at the Capitol on the 12^th!

--Sara Krogman, Field Coordinator

How budget cuts impact one family

Nickel and diming disabled Minnesotans: Saving pennies, risking lives

This story from the TC Daily Planet highlights Cindy Johnson's take on recent and proposed budget cuts. Johnson, a Woodbury resident, has both a daughter and sister with disabilities.

Medicaid savings unrealistic, study says

The StarTribune explores the viability of a global Medicaid waiver proposed by House Republicans to help balance the state budget. Read the story here.

Daily Planet article highlights the complexities of care provided by Medical Assistance

This March 22nd Daily Planet article by Sarah Rattanavong-Wash explains the difference between managed care and fee-for-service care people with disabilities receive under Medical Assistance. Particularly noteworthy is the part explaining why disability advocates are wary of switching to services provided by managed care.

Read the full story here.

Mark your calendars for ARRM sponsored MN-CCD Tuesday at the Capitol

The Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD) hosts disability advocates at the State Capitol every Tuesday of the week during the legislative session. These “Tuesdays at the Capitol” allow members the disability community to have a constant presence at the Capitol and access state legislators. On Tuesday, April 12th, ARRM will be sponsoring a “Tuesday at the Capitol,” and would like to encourage all ARRM members to attend.

The start time is 10:00 a.m.,with disability advocates gathering in the basement cafeteria of the State Office Building. A guest legislator will talk to the group, you will receive talking points, and CCD and ARRM will help you craft your story.

ARRM reminds members to set up meetings with their legislators ahead of time. If you do not wish to have a personal meeting with your legislator, you can use this opportunity to hand deliver the letters you have written for ARRM’s “Pen your Priorities” letter writing campaign.

For more information on “Tuesdays at the Capitol, you can visit the MN-CCD Web page by clicking here, or contact Sara Krogman, ARRM Field Coordinator, at skrogman@arrm.org.

We hope to see everyone at the State Capitol on Tuesday, April 12th.

--Sara Krogman, Field Coordinator

March Madness: Pen Your Priorities!

Draft a letter about disabilities this month

With only three months left in the scheduled legislative session and only one month until fiscal chairs release their budget bills (around March 25), ARRM is executing a full court press by launching a huge, grassroots letter writing campaign during the month of March.

Handwritten letters and notes from constituents are a powerful way to communicate with legislators because they put a human face on disability programs and services. Thus, we'd like ARRM members to generate a steady stream of letters during the next few weeks to make an unforgettable impact. Organizations can host a letter raiser party and produce a passel of letters in a short amount of time--as little as 45 minutes. Be sure to include photos with your letters so legislators have a visual reference. When you're done, mail or deliver your letters to the Capitol. For the Senate, deliver letters to the Secretary of the Senate, Sergeant of Arms Supply Office, Room B-43 of the State Capitol. For the House, go to the House Sergeant of Arms Postal Office, Room 190 of the State Office Building. Or, drop your letters off at ARRM and we will hand deliver them for you.

Don't know where to start? No problem! You can download a letter raiser toolkit from ARRM's website or ARRM's one-page template for family members. Besides writing letters, we encourage you to take part in other grassroots activities this month:

• schedule a site visit with your legislator,
• friend your legislator on Facebook,
• attend ARRM’s MN CCD Tuesday at the Capitol on April 12th,
• check ARRM’s grassroots calendar for upcoming town hall meetings in your district.

As always, we ask ARRM members to please let Sara Krogman know about the grassroots work you've done, and if you have had contact with a legislator. Let's use our "people power" to urge decision-makers to preserve core services and quality supports for Minnesotans with disabilities. (Photo by Scott Bacon)

Grassroots efforts garner results!

This week Governor Dayton released an updated budget, lowering the proposed provider rate cuts from 4.5% to 2%, he also eliminated the congregate care cut. The reduction of the rate cut was without a doubt in part, due to the work you are doing on the ground. The grassroots numbers are nothing short of amazing and the feedback we receive is invaluable.

Since the election, ARRM members have reported hosting thirty four site visits with their local legislators. Site visits are one of the most effective tools we have to show legislators, first hand, the value of the services we are providing. Representative Kathy Lohmer recently talked about her visit to a REM home in her legislative update, she stated:

“I also had an informative visit to a REM Minnesota home in Bayport. REM Minnesota has been providing service options for people with disabilities since 1967. I had a tour of the home and productive discussion regarding their funding and their legislative concerns. As I continue to work here at the Capitol, I am constantly reminded of how vitally important it is to care for the most vulnerable in our community.”

ARRM members have also been speaking out to their legislators through attending townhall meetings and visits at the Capitol. In a recent meeting with Rep. Steve Drazkowski (28B), he stated that he “considers disability services to be a priority of his and the Republican caucus.” Rep. Leon Lillie (55A) told an ARRM member that “he has been voting against budget cuts of services for six years and will continue to do so,” and Rep. Ernie Leidiger (34A), was recently quoted by an ARRM members as saying, “this is not the kind of stuff we should be cutting.”

It is clear from this feedback that you are making a difference, but the hard work isn’t over yet. With only a few weeks until the Republican led legislature releases their budget proposal, it is never more important for you to contact your legislator.

There are many ways you can get involved with grassroots advocacy. ARRM has recently launched “March madness: Pen your Priorities,” which is a personal letter writing campaign. You can download a letter raiser tool kit from ARRM’s website. ARRM also encourages you to schedule a site visit, friend your legislator on Facebook, attend ARRM’s MN CCD Tuesday at the Capitol, add ARRM as a friend of Facebook, or follow ARRM on Twitter.

Thank you for all you have done so far. It is through your work that the message to protect core services to people with disabilities is spreading across the state.

--Sara Krogman, Field Coordinator

Advocates for people with disabilities call for continued state support

Great coverage of The Arc's news conference Tuesday in MinnPost. Steve Larson's statements were excellent:

“For years now, people with disabilities and their families have felt that their lives and sense of security have become political hockey pucks, passed and knocked around as they’ve faced cuts to their services and uncertainty about their future,” said Steve Larson, The Arc of Minnesota’s public policy director. “Our elected officials need to stop passing this puck back and forth."

Also:

"People with disabilities could still see could see major cuts to their supports when the Governor and Legislature finally reach a budget agreement. So despite better budget news, we still must challenge our elected officials to protect essential services, and to incorporate innovations that create better lives for people with disabilities at a better value for our tax dollars.”

Here's the full article