Taking Stock of Session
We can change who benefits in our economy when we change who decides in our democracy. It is because we believe in this simple idea that we as members of TakeAction Minnesota spend so much time, attention and energy at the State Capitol during legislative session.
Because we want a state where all of us can thrive, prosper and live life to the fullest, TakeAction Minnesota and our member organizations work on a number of issues that are the essence of what we all need to be whole people, fully alive. Each of us needs health care we can depend on and work that is dignified. We need a voice in the decisions that affect us and a criminal justice system that is just that – just – for all people regardless of the color of our skin or class. We need quality schools, clean water, and healthy food.
Contrary to what we read in the paper or see on TV, there is more to what happens at the legislature than what Republicans and Democrats say about each other. Legislative session is where the people’s interests – our interests – collide with those of powerful corporations and wealthy elites. Since legislative session wrapped up last week, now is a good time to take stock of how we – the people – fared in the decisions that our elected leaders made.
A top priority for TakeAction Minnesota was to restore voting rights to people on probation and parole. For folks who live, work, and otherwise participate fully in our communities, there is no reason to deny them the right to vote because of a criminal record – no one is safer or better off for this policy. This bill would put more power in the hands of the people of our state, especially people of color, and had strong support from Democrats and Republicans. But it didn’t pass. Democrats failed to make it a priority to stand on, Republicans feared their own base of voters would turn on them for doing right by people with a criminal record. At the end of the day, members of BOTH parties fell victim to the same structures and behaviors that consistently leave people of color behind in our state and that leave all of us less than whole. As the legislature heads back to St. Paul to complete unfinished work in a ‘special legislative session,’ we are calling on Speaker Kurt Daudt and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk to include restoring the vote in the agenda.
Anti-tax corporations and ideologues made eliminating MinnesotaCare the #1 priority of Republicans in the State House. In their effort to shrink the size of government and hold onto more money for themselves, they chose a program that provides quality, affordable health care for 100,000 farmers, students, entrepreneurs and everyday working people. I’m proud to say that TakeAction Minnesota members and numerous other groups organized people all across our state and stopped this terrible plan. But, unfortunately, these corporate interests succeeded in cutting funding for MinnesotaCare, a cut that now will be paid by those who need healthcare. This is unacceptable and we will work to restore funding as we look to a future where none of us need to “buy” our care from a private insurer.
Last year, we were part of the Raise the Wage coalition and succeeded in raising the state minimum wage to $9.50/hour and indexed it to keep up with inflation. This was a major victory for all people in our state and especially women who are the majority of minimum wage workers. This year, our focus was to make work more manageable for women and families by ensuring access to earned time off to care for yourself or a loved one who is sick. Unfortunately, the major corporations that profit from low wages, and from exploiting working women, stopped this bill. These corporations tried instead to cut wages for tipped workers (again, mostly women) and prevent local communities from setting higher standards for workers. We stopped these efforts, but we must remain vigilant as these issues will be up for discussion again in the special session that will be convened soon.
Special session will put a spotlight on a number of bills that Governor Dayton has vetoed and other issues that remain unaddressed. We applaud Governor Dayton’s veto of the agriculture and environment bill that eliminated the citizen oversight board of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. People must have a direct say in the protection of our environment. We also applaud Governor Dayton for his veto of the education bill that did not adequately fund pre-kindergarten across the state. There is no better investment in our state’s future than our children’s early education. We will continue to push for a full investment in our state’s transportation infrastructure, while also pushing to see that that infrastructure lead to more equitable outcomes for greater Minnesota and people of color. Likewise, we will not rest until undocumented Minnesotans are granted a driver’s license and are recognized as important members of our communities.
The lesson of this legislative session is that the interests that profit from the status quo will never give up easily, but they can be defeated if we organize with all of our might. A second lesson is that that the contest between people and corporations is not resolved overnight. There is always more work to do (see special session above).
It’s also important to remember that there are many other ways people are changing our state for the better outside of the Capitol. In Minneapolis, we are excited to be working with Mayor Betsy Hodges to advance the Working Parents Agenda and ensure earned sick days for all workers, reforms to make workers’ hourly schedules more predictable, and enforce wage and hour laws. In Duluth, we are excited to endorse Emily Larson for mayor, and look forward to working with her to put equity at the center of the conversation in that city.
The legislation we pass is one measure of a much longer process to change who benefits and who decides in our state. What wasn’t accomplished this year will be accomplished. We will just keep organizing at the grassroots until we get there.
