Governor vetoes Health and Human Services bill:

Legislative negotiators need our support -- NOW

The Governor has vetoed the Health and Human Services bill – although he has indicated he might be open to negotiating on the legislature’s proposal to transfer adults from GAMC (and some from Minnesota Care) to Medical Assistance. The risk is that he will push for deeper cuts in the health and human services bill in exchange. Remember, he proposed eliminating General Assistance and cutting off MFIP assistance to 7,000 families with disabled parents and children.

Now is the time to call your representatives and the Governor’s office.

The message to Legislators:

• Stand by the Health and Human Services budget bill. No more damage to the safety net.
• General Assistance and MFIP are bare-bones alternatives for unemployed and ill or disabled low wage workers who do not have access to unemployment insurance, paid sick leave or short and long-term disability insurance. 
• Just as no one would propose cuts to unemployment insurance – there should not be cuts to GA or MFIP. No cuts to the assistance that helps low wage working parents pay for child care.

If you do not have your legislator’s contact information or are not sure who represents you, you can find out in less than 20 seconds by clicking on http://www.gis.leg.mn/mapserver/districts/.

The message to the Governor:

• No more cuts to health and human services. No more damage to the safety net.
• A recession is the wrong time to pull the rug out from under those who are unemployed, ill and disabled.

Background
The Legislature passed a Health and Human Services budget bill last night that is the best possible option that has been proposed in these very bad times. It cuts $114 in spending for this budget cycle. But they are careful cuts:

• No cuts to General Assistance;
• One cut to the Minnesota Family Investment Program – the elimination of a $50 a month work bonus available to families who leave MFIP with a job;
• Moving very poor single adults onto Medical Assistance and ending a GAMC program which appears will serve less than half the people being served now and only in the metro area;
• A cut to unspent child care funds – but no cuts that would force families off child care assistance or would reduce the assistance families receive.

This is also the best solution that has been laid on the table in the last year to address the crisis created by the line-item veto of General Assistance Medical Care. The transfer to Medical Assistance means Minnesota consolidates three different health care programs into two, earns a $7 for every new dollar it spends on the transfer to medical assistance and it offers coverage statewide. The current GAMC compromise covers only four hospitals in Hennepin and Ramsey County and less than half the men and women currently enrolled on GAMC.