Last week was a short week for the MN Legislature, but ARRM staff were tracking issues from the local level up to the Federal Government. Below is a quick recap on what happened and what you can expect this coming week.
State Legislature
The Minnesota Legislature went on break beginning at 5:00 pm Wednesday, returning at noon on Tuesday, April 2nd. Before break began, ARRM did have one bill heard in the Senate Human Services Committee. Our proposal to create grants for providers supporting people moving from a congregate living setting to their own home was heard and laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus spending bill. I provided an overview of the bill, along with our Board President, Stacy Roe, from Mains’l Services.
As we reported last week, when the legislature returns, there will only be 2 ½ weeks before the third and final committee deadline.
Letter to Minneapolis City Council
In response to the recent announcement from Uber and Lyft that they will halt operations in the city of Minneapolis due to increased minimum wage requirements for their drivers, ARRM, along with provider organizations, submitted this letter.
The letter focuses on the negative impact the loss of Uber and Lyft will have on people with disabilities and urges the city to work with rideshare companies to find a solution to ensure that people with disabilities do not lose access to daily necessities like work, doctor appointments, and seeing friends.
Federal Budget Signed into Law, Leaves out People with Disabilities
On Saturday, March 23, President Biden signed a 1.2 trillion-dollar spending package that will fund the Government until September. While the budget included some spending increases for Special Education and employment services for people with disabilities, spending levels for other Home and Community-Based Services remained flat.
Click here for more information on the budget from Disability Scoop.
Looking Ahead
As of right now, ARRM does not have any bills scheduled for a hearing this week. We are continuing to monitor the progress of the omnibus policy bills and will keep you updated if there is anything we need ARRM members to take action on.
Please reach out with any questions.
--Sara Grafstrom, Senior Director of State and Federal Policy