By Jim Jordal

The Family Economic Security Act now being considered by the state legislature attempts to "improve the well-being of Minnesota children, strengthen the financial security of families, build opportunity for Minnesotans, and create future prosperity for our state." It does this through three major policies: Increasing the minimum wage where it more accurately reflects the real cost of meeting basic family needs, providing affordable child care for low-income working families, and encouraging increased tax credits for working parents.

The point behind this legislation is laudatory because it recognizes what so many political figures do not---that social capital, or the abilities and skills of people, is at least as important to the long-term survival of a society as is the vaunted, but often socially destructive search for increased economic capital. Families are America’s main source of social capital. If this is true, then why does so much political and economic activity ignore it? More to the point, why don’t more politicians reject the extremes that some legislative bodies have gone to in refusing to recognize the disastrous consequences of their austerity policies on families, especially those labeled dysfunctional or lacking in motivation?

Join us for an exploration of how the intersection of  grassroots organizing and social theory is building a movement to end poverty.

Thank you for your interest and we look forward to seeing you on April 15.

Sincerely,

Nancy Maeker

Executive Director, A Minnesota Without Poverty

Register Now

I Can't Make it

When

Monday April 15, 2013 from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM CDT

Where

United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities

NEXT STEPS in Connecting to End Poverty: Moving the Legislative Commission to End Poverty Recommendations Forward in the Legislature

The 2013 Legislative Session is progressing and much is happening that reflects the work of many organizations working to implement the Legislative Commission to End Poverty (LCEP) recommendations (see http://www.mnwithoutpoverty.org/resources/lcep-recommendations.html for full report)

Recently we asked you contact your state senator and representative to encourage them to read the LCEP report and to alert them that several bills would be introduced to implement some of those recommendations. NOW, some of those bills have been introduced and we are ready for the next steps. 

So—please take the following action steps in the Connecting to End Poverty process: