Now that the Minnesota legislative session has officially ended, here is a summary of some of the child-welfare related bills that have been signed by Governor Dayton since mid-April that we have not yet covered. The policies are separated into three categories: harm reduction, financial stability, and juvenile justice. Bills Related to Harm Reduction Along [...]
On May 16 the Omnibus Education Policy Bill, HF 2397, was signed into law by Governor Dayton. Within the bill text there is an overarching theme related to childhood academic achievement, including a provision allowing for greater educational stability for youth in foster care and others related to English learners and their families. As these [...]
In the Supplemental Education K-12 Finance Omnibus Bill there are two provisions related to students with needs that go beyond what is provided in traditional educational settings. One of these provisions is meant to better support youth struggling with substance abuse by appropriating funding to Approved Recovery Programs, while the other regards the use of [...]
Marion Wright Edelman, founder of the Children’s Defense Fund, once stated that “the future we hold in trust for our children will be shaped by our fairness to other people’s children.” Today Edelman continues to speak about the values of fairness and justice that while should apply to every child, throughout the United States these [...]
Gov. Dayton signing the minimum wage bill into law. Source: Tom Scheck/MPR News After a debate in the Senate lasting several hours, with a close 35-31 final vote the bill to raise the state's minimum wage (H.F. 92) was passed last Wednesday evening. Yesterday afternoon, Governor Dayton officially signed the bill into law. What's in [...]
Rep. Rena Moran. Source: David Joles/Star Tribune Across the country state lawmakers are debating passing or strengthening existing legislation that would require random drug testing of TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families—"welfare") recipients. Minnesota is one of the few states where legislators are trying to modify an existing drug testing policy for recipients with prior felony [...]
Source: Northfield Patch It was 1973 when homosexuality was de-classified as a mental disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), and since then it has become accepted by most professionals in the mental health community that homsexuality is neither a disease nor a conscious choice that a person can alter. However, [...]
One of the most talked about policies to be voted on in the Minnesota Legislature this year is HF92/SF3, the bill to raise the state minimum wage. Minnesota's current minimum wage is one of the lowest in the country, set at $6.15/hour. Under the bill's proposed mandates HF92 would raise the minimum wage to $9.50/hour [...]
