(This post was originally sent to ARRM members as an Alert on June 17, with new information included on June 20.)
It's time to translate past legislative goodwill into future funding decisions
Although Minnesota’s 2011 Legislative Session has ended, the state’s budget remains unbalanced and the potential impacts to providers of disability services are unclear. When legislators return for the special session, which could begin Monday, June 27, we want to ensure that disability services are a top priority. To accomplish this, we encourage all ARRM members to contact your state legislators in the next couple of weeks. If you don’t know who represents you, click here.
We leave it up to you to determine the type of contact that is most appropriate for your situation. For instance, if you have just hosted a site visit, arrange to have a one-on-one conversation with your legislator, or send a detailed email or letter outlining your concerns. If you have never invited a legislator to visit a program site, now is the time to show them the important work you do and the consequences of proposed cuts to disability services.
Also, there will be many opportunities to connect with legislators in their home districts in the coming weeks. Look for appearances in parades, at county fairs and at community gatherings this spring and summer. Be sure to invite them to your agency’s summer events, such as staff picnics or annual fundraisers.
ARRM members have done a tremendous job building political capital and goodwill with elected officials this session. We want to build on those strong relationships so when legislators return to the capitol to hammer out budgets agreements, cuts to disability services are minimal. Now is the time to translate all that goodwill into their final funding decisions.
ARRM CEOs/upper level management: What to include when communicating with legislators
1. Thank the legislators for their attempts to preserve core disability services.* Highlight your efforts to deliver services more efficiently by using innovative approaches, and let lawmakers know that disability providers want to be a part of the solution.
2. Tell your legislator about the impacts of the following:
- Limits or a freeze on enrollment growth: Do you have open beds? What will happen if you lose consumers but can’t fill beds for 7-9 months?
- Congregate living cuts: The Conference Committee proposes a 10 percent rate cut for 3,600 individuals. If you have consumers who are considered “low needs,” how would a reduction like this affect your ability to provide services?
- Potential rate cuts: Emphasize the link between provider rates and the quality of services we can offer - make sure lawmakers understand that 75 percent of rates go directly to services; other expenses are either fixed or are increasing. What would a rate cut mean for your agency and the people you serve?
- What happens if a combination—or all—of the above happens?
3. The ask, in your own words: “We appreciate the legislature’s attempts to maintain core services for people with disabilities, but the proposed cuts are too large and harmful (e.g., Conference Committee cuts are twice as large as those proposed in Gov. Dayton’s budget). Please remove the congregate living reduction, and if you must freeze growth, the Senate’s original proposal will cause less harm to people with disabilities and their providers.” (The Senate had frozen enrollment at the June 30, 2011 level, rather than March 2010.)
4. Thank the legislator for their time and offer to be a resource.
Messages for staff to use with legislators:
1. Thank the legislators for their attempts to preserve core disability services.*
2. Discuss type of people you support in your work (range of disabilities) and the value of supporting them. Talk about the changes you have made in your own life as a result of the budget cuts (e.g. how it affects your pay and health insurance), and how ongoing budget cuts impact people with disabilities.
3. The ask, in your own words: “We appreciate the legislature’s attempts to maintain core services for people with disabilities, but the proposed cuts are too large and harmful” (e.g., Conference Committee cuts are twice as large as those proposed in Gov. Dayton’s budget).
4. Thank the legislator for their time.
Messages for family members to use with legislators:
1. Thank the legislators for their attempts to preserve core disability services.*
2. Talk about your family member(s) and how the agency that serves your loved one positively impacts their life. Discuss the important roles they play in their community, and how adequate funding of disability supports and services enable them to work and live independently, meaningful lives.
3. Convey your concern about dismantling the supports that are in place for Minnesotans with disabilities, and how potential budget cuts will affect your loved one.
4. The ask, in your own words: “We appreciate the legislature’s attempts to maintain core services for people with disabilities, but the proposed cuts are too large and harmful” (e.g., Conference Committee cuts are twice as large as those proposed in Gov. Dayton’s budget).
5. Thank the legislator for their time and offer to be a resource.
Don’t forget the governor!
Share your perspective with Gov. Dayton. Call or email him (telephone: 651-201-3400) and -- in your own words -- say:
I am [title] from [name of agency] located in [city], Minnesota. As a citizen of this state, I would like to thank you for removing reductions to congregate living care from your initial budget. These cuts (of about 10 percent) would have disproportionately targeted 3,600 “low need” individuals with disabilities in about 900 group homes across the state.
Also, thank you for deeming services to people with disabilities and payments to disability providers essential in the event of a state government shutdown. As you move forward with budget negotiations, please continue to minimize or remove cuts to disability services.
*Thank legislators only if they have previously stated that preserving core services is their goal.
--Barb Brynstad, Bruce Nelson, Craig Wieber and Sara Krogman
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