CURRENT ACTION ALERT:

 

After the fight for GAMC, our campaign continues – now focused on protecting the income assistance for many of the same people who had their health care coverage at risk. The Governor would cut all income assistance for adults who are unemployed and seriously ill or disabled.  He would end all income assistance to families with disabled parents or children.  We can’t allow the Minnesota House and Senate to submit budget proposals that mirror the Governor’s cuts to --  or find other ways to cut General Assistance or the Minnesota Family Investment Program.

 

Each member of the Human Services budget committee in the House needs to hear from at least 100 constituents living in their district.

 

General Assistance and MFIP are poor substitutes for unemployment insurance, paid sick leave, and short and long-term disability insurance.

 

General Assistance is the only income support provided to adults without children in the household and in crisis.  64% of the adults who turn to General Assistance are seriously ill and cannot work.  The assistance Minnesota provides is meager – $203 a month for a single adult.  It is how people pay their medical co-pays, their share of rent or utilities, the costs of socks or underwear, the rent for storage lockers, etc.

 

The Minnesota Family Investment Program is the state’s welfare-to-work program for families with children.  The vast majority of parents who turn to MFIP are low wage workers who have lost jobs or have been reduced to so few part-time hours the family is in financial crisis. Like, General Assistance, the assistance is bare-bones -- $532 for a parent with two children.

 

These are not budget-busters:  Together MFIP and General Assistance cost only one half of 1% of the state general fund budget. 

The MN House of Representatives will release its human services budget proposals in the coming weeks.  We need phone calls and emails RIGHT NOW. Tell them: 

If you don't live in any of these districts, please find a friend, family member, old classmate, colleague, board member, or somebody who does and ask them to call for you!  We'd like 100 calls to each of these elected officials!