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:

·      Contact your legislators and ask them to support the Family Economic Security Act (FES)—or thank them if they are already a co-sponsor: (See list of bill sponsors below)

o   House File 430 (Hortman, Lenczewski, Carlson, Liebling, Mariani, Winkler, Atkins, Murphy, E., Fritz, Mahoney, Johnson, S., Kahn)

o   Senate File 399 (Tomassoni, Marty, Eken, Cohen, Hayden)

The FES bill includes three recommended policies from the Legislative Commission to End Poverty Report:

o   Raises the minimum wage to $9.50 for large employers, $8.25 for small employers and $7.50 for training wage

o   Fully funds child care and expands eligibility to 300% of Federal Poverty Guidelines

o   Increases Working Family Credit and creates a state version of the Child Tax Credit

A full description of this bill is available on the webpage:  http://www.mnwithoutpoverty.org/connecting-to-end-poverty.html

·        Plan to attend one of the Connecting to End Poverty Regional Convenings in your area:

o   March 12   Duluth

o   March 13   Mora                           

o   March 19   Rochester                   

o   March 21   Grand Rapids             

o   Date TBD  Moorhead

o   Date TBD  Wadena

o   Date TBD  St. Cloud

o   Date TBD  Southwest Minnesota

Details and updates are available on the Connecting to End Poverty webpage.

Thank you for doing your part to work toward Enough for All!