Dayton Administration Drafts List of Essential State Services in Preparation for Possible Government Shut Down

The Dayton administration has drafted a list of services it deems essential and that should continue if there is a state government shut down on July 1. That list focuses on public safety – including the needs of vulnerable Minnesotans.

Low income Minnesotans relying on public assistance programs such as the Minnesota Family Investment Program, the Diversionary Work Program and General Assistance and health care programs like Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare would continue to receive benefits. However, it appears that assistance continues only for those already receiving assistance as of June 30, which implies that no new applications would be considered or processed. It also appears that services and payments to vendors would be suspended. This may indicate that employment services to families on public assistance will be suspended and puts in doubt whether child care payments to child care providers will go forward. Emergency assistance is not named as a program in which payments would continue.

We receive this news with deep concern for two groups of Minnesotans:

• Those living on low incomes whose ability to pay rent, utilities, clothing and other basic needs are already deeply imperiled;
• Those who have made the well-being of others their work and whose jobs may be suspended.

Neither should be endangered – either by a shut down or by a set of permanent budget cuts that would have the state turn its back on the “security, benefit and protection of the people” in order to avoid asking the wealthiest Minnesotans to pay their fair portion of taxes.

Links to the criteria for identifying essential services proposed by the Dayton administration are at:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/57921948/SCRT-Statewide-Objectives-6-15-11

A detailed list of what is considered essential by Department is at:
http://www.startribune.com/politics/blogs/123912804.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

We will send out more information about what actions members of the Affirmative Options Coalition can do to weigh in on the process.

If you are contacting the Governor’s Office or legislators, make sure your message includes a dual concern:

• Real people will be deeply hurt if the state government shuts down;
• Real people will be deeply hurt if an all cuts budget is allowed to proceed. The temporary damage of a shut down could be permanent for some under the budget cuts that are proposed.