NAMI Minnesota Legislative Update – Jan. 21, 2012

Legislative Session Begins January 24th NAMI is prepared for the session to begin on Wednesday – are you? Be sure to have information on your legislators, including their contact information handy. Click here for the most up-to-date list containing newly elected legislators and any room changes.

The Republican leadership held a press conference this week outlining their priorities for this session. Issues that NAMI will be following closely include:

 Aggressive strategies to turn around the state's lowest achieving schools  Give parents a stronger voice in public education by allowing them to petition to convert their failing public schools into charter schools  Allow for aggressive replication of high performing charter schools  Simplify insurer and health plan regulation  Consolidate health plan regulatory under one agency  Eliminate requirements that all HMOs serve state health care programs  Combine health care purchasing under single agency to reduce duplication and costs by increasing efficiency and buying power  Enhance privatization of public subsidized health care to improve care, improve payments to doctors and hospitals, and save the state money  Provide tax deduction for individual health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket medical expenses  Combat Medicaid fraud with up-front screening and detection  Establish higher MFIP standards for welfare eligibility to mirror border states  Create Return to Taxpayer Investment Report so taxpayers know if their dollars are effectively being used to achieve particular public health outcomes  Require city and county governments to present budget and spending information in an easy-to-understand format designed to educate taxpayers and engage citizens in local government spending decisions  Work with local governments to provide requested mandate relief by ending prescriptive, redundant and outdated mandates

To learn more about the issues facing the mental health communty this session, read the Mental Health Legislative Network's annual booklet.

Governor Releases Bonding Proposal Governor Dayton released his bonding proposal for the 2012 legislative session on Tuesday. For the Chemical and Mental Health Administration, the proposal includes $40 million to remodel residential, programming, and activity space at the Minnesota Security Hospital at St. Peter. The proposal also includes $2.5 million to maintain and preserve capital assets at DHS facilities.

Sunset Commission Meets The Sunset Commission met this past week. They are charged with reviewing 25 various councils, agencies and board and making recommendations about which ones should continue, if any. The commission has 12 members, half of whom were appointed by the Governor and half by the legislature. It is chaired by Rep. Kiffmeyer.

Sue Abderholden, NAMI’s executive director, sent a letter to the commission on behalf of the Mental Health Legislative Network, urging support the continuation of the mental health licensing boards, particularly those for social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists and licensed clinical counselors. In the letter she stated that:

These boards are important to the quality of our mental health services. In addition they:

 Are a critical part of the community that serves children and sometimes vulnerable people;  Implement standards for education and supervision, assuring that mental health professionals have completed the training they need to meet the needs of children and adults with mental illnesses and provide appropriate treatment and services;  Provide for a complaint process that are independent of employers, insurance companies, county boards and that are free for the public to use and do not require the hiring of attorneys. She also expressed support for the Minnesota Council on Disabilities.

Constitutional Amendments This week the NAMI board of directors voted to oppose three proposed constitutional amendments that would negatively impact the legislature’s ability to decide the state’s budget.

Three constitutional amendments introduced in the Minnesota Legislature would limit the state's ability to raise taxes or use available revenues.  House File 1598/ Senate File 1384 would require a three-fifths supermajority vote in each body of the Legislature in order to pass a tax increase.  House File 1612/ Senate File 1364 would limit all spending in the biennium to the amount of all revenues collected in the previous biennium. Excess revenues could only be used for two purposes: to pay back one-time shifts and to provide for the public peace, safety or health as a result of a declared national security or peacetime emergency.  House File 1661/ Senate File 1378 would limit general fund spending in the biennium to 98 percent of forecasted revenues, with the remainder going into a reserve account. Any spending above the 98 percent could only be used to respond to emergencies and would require a three-fifths majority vote in both bodies of the Legislature. Once the reserve account reaches five percent of state revenues, a reduction in the sales tax would be triggered. All three of these proposals were introduced in both the House and Senate during the 2011 Legislative Session. Although none made it to the floor, House File 1598 was passed out of the House Tax Committee. Any bill introduced during the 2011 Legislative Session can continue to move through the process during the 2012 Legislative Session without needing to be reintroduced.

In late August 2011, a group of Republican state representatives announced that a major element of their 2012 legislative agenda is likely to be a constitutional amendment that would require a supermajority vote in both houses of the Legislature to raise taxes. With such a supermajority requirement in place, just a minority of legislators could block critical legislation, even if the legislation had broad public support.

If any of these amendments are approved by a majority in both houses of the Minnesota Legislature in the 2012 Legislative Session, it would be placed on the ballot in the 2012 general election. A majority of those voting in the election would need to approve the amendment in order for it to take effect.

NAMI Minnesota knows that the last several sessions when we faced budget deficits would have been even worse had these provisions been in place. Look for more information and calls to action in future legislative updates. (information from the MN Council of Nonprofits)

Strong Legislative Advocate Not Running for Re-election State Representative Mindy Greiling announced that she would not be running for re-election. Rep. Greiling has been one of the strongest advocates for mental health services in Minnesota’s history. She has a son with schizophrenia and has served on the state and national boards of NAMI. In a press release she is quoted as saying “I was proud to lead the legislative charge in the Minnesota House of Representatives to reform and properly fund our mental health system. We increased funding more than in any other legislative session in the history of our state.” Plans are underway to hold an event recognizing her efforts when the session ends. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to her and thank her for her work.

Precinct Caucuses – February 7, 2012 Minnesota's political parties will be holding precinct caucuses around the state on Tuesday, February 7th. Precinct Caucuses are a chance for individuals to influence the priorities and direction of their favored political party. NAMI Minnesota has created sample caucus resolutions for both the DFL and Republican parties which are available on our website . The resolutions seek to amend each party's platform to address issues that impact people living with a mental illness and their families. To find out where your precinct caucus is being held, use the Minnesota Secretary of State's Caucus Finder.

Health Care Exchange Task Force Adopts Recommendations The Health Care Exchange Advisory Task Force met twice this week. The first meeting on Tuesday was held at Shiloh Temple in North Minneapolis and focused on health care disparities and how the exchange can help address this important problem. Alfred Babington Johnson organized the event along with members Cryan, Norrgard, Gbolo and Abderholden. Commissioner of Health Ehlinger presented on the impact of health disparities and provided data regarding infant mortality rates, access to health care, and more. Commissioner of Human Services Jesson talked about a variety of disparities related to AIDS and mental illnesses, along with the various barriers people face to accessing care.

The members then heard from a panel who discussed barriers to utilizations and new models. Presenters included Dorii Gbolo, CEO of Open Cities Health Care Center; Jennifer DeCubellis, Area Director for Hennepin County; Dr. Patrick Rock, Indian Health Board of Minneapolis; Chris Sorenson, Director of Southwest Health and Human Services; and Rolanda Mason, supervising attorney for St. Cloud Legal Services.

A number of policy levers were presented for consideration by Abderholden, Cryan and Norrgard including minimizing disruption of coverage, addressing incarceration status, network adequacy, data collection and more. For a copy of the handout, click here.

On Wednesday the task force met again. NAMI advocated for a larger governing body (15 to 20 instead of 11 – 15) to ensure that consumers and small businesses would be fully represented, along with ensuring that there is cultural and regional diversity on the governance body. Some of the key recommendations include:

 Market rules, certification requirements and regulatory provisions inside and outside the exchange should be the same  Minnesota should pursue a state-level risk adjustment model  Only a small majority of people on the governance board can have a conflict of interest (such as health plans and brokers)  Navigator program would be structured to support the differing roles needed, should be holistic (no wrong door for services) and should be available in community-based organizations.

For more information, go to the website of the task force.

House Parties with State Legislators A Resounding Success! NAMI Meeker County and Love without Boundaries hosted the final house party with state legislators on January 8. Representative Ron Shimanksi and Representative Dean Urdahl joined around 20 constituents to talk about issues affecting children and adults living with a mental illness and their families. The audience was a diverse mix of people living with a mental illness, family members and friends and mental health professionals. Representatives from the county social services agencies and a county commissioner joined us as well.

People shared stories about a wide range of issues from changes to the CADI waiver to reductions in PCA services for children. There was also a lot of discussion about cut backs to local community support programs (CSP) after the last legislative session. When asked how many people have been impacted by budget cuts, nearly everyone in the room raised their hand.

Both Representatives were thoughtful and engaged and asked lots of great questions to try and better understand what people are dealing with. They both said they would bring what they heard back to their colleagues at the capitol. NAMI Minnesota thanks Representative Shimanksi and Representative Urdahl for attending.

NAMI, in collaboration with the Mental Health Association of Minnesota, held a total of 18 events throughout the fall and early winter to help people connect with legislators. We reached 29 different legislators and over 400 people, from all around the state, participated. Thanks so everyone who attended or help organize an event. Your efforts truly made a difference!

Lawmakers Urge Support for Key Law Enforcement Provisions of MIOTCRA Four members of Congress this month began circulating a Dear Colleague letter urging their congressional colleagues’ support for sustaining key law enforcement provisions in the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA). Representatives Bobby Scott (D- VA), Richard Nugent (R-FL), Michael Grimm (R-NY), and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) expressed their concern in the letter about a proposal by the Obama Administration in its 2012 budget to consolidate MIOTCRA into a single problem-solving courts initiative which could exclude many of the key elements of MIOTCRA. Congress did not adopt the Obama proposal.

The letter states, “Large numbers of people with serious mental illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders get caught up in the criminal justice system, often with tragic results for these individuals, their families, and the communities in which they live… MIOTCRA program dollars improve public safety by providing cross-training of criminal justice and mental health personnel, training of local law enforcement officers, diversion and alternative prosecution programs, corrections and transitional services as well as a wide range of responses to juveniles.”

Contact your Representatives and urge them to add their names to the letter. For a listing of MN US Representatives, click here. (from the National Council for Community Behavioral Health Care)

Pub Trivia It’s not too late to sign up for the NAMI Minnesota Pub Trivia event! It’s a very fun event and we’re sure there will be some political questions in there. If you’ve been reading the legislative updates, odds are you will do well on those questions.

Pub Trivia will be held on Wednesday, January 25 at Honey in Northeast Minneapolis. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Arrive early to get your table and order food & beverages. Trivia begins at 6:30 p.m. promptly. Teams consist of a maximum of five people. The cost to play is $15 per person or $75 per team – all proceeds go to NAMI. Location: Honey, 205 E. Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55414. Parking is available at meters or in the garage on 2nd street. Reserve your spot by contacting Michelle at [email protected] or by calling 651-645-2948 ext. 104.

Bill Summaries Several House bills were “pre-filed” during the interim.

HF 1768 (Mullery and Kahn) Referred to the Taxes Committee. Increases renters’ rebate from 17 to 19 percent.

HF 1798 (Hackbarth) Referred to the Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance Committee. Allows peace officers to take a child into custody when stopped for offenses that would not be violations if the child were an adult, but only allows them to bring them home or to other safe place, including shelter care facilities.

HF 1819 (Dettmer; McElfatrick; Westrom; Anderson, B; Lohmer and others) Referred to Veterans Services Division. Grants civil immunity to Minnesota National Guard “Beyond the Yellow Ribbon” participants who provide care, including counseling, to service members and/or their family members before, during and after deployment.

HF 1831 (Wardlow; Drazkowski; Lohmer; Hancock; Scott and others) Referred to the Government Operations and Elections Committee. Requires legislative approval through a joint resolution for any major rule.

HF 1857 (Gruenhagen and Westrom) Referred to Taxes Committee. Allows people to deduct their medical expenses from their taxes.

HF 1866 (Mullery) Referred to Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee. Prohibits employers from discriminating against potential employees based on individuals’ unemployment statuses.

HF 1988 (Clark; Mariani; Greiling; Slocum and Hornstein) Referred to Health and Human Services Committee. Expands medical assistance eligibility to include qualified noncitizens that entered the United States on or after August 22, 1996 and noncitizens that are not legally “qualified noncitizens” as they work toward citizenship.

HF 1889 (Barrett; Drazkowski; Scott; Quam and Daudt) Referred to Health and Human Services Reform Committee. Requires that MFIP and General Assistance recipients are screened for controlled substance use if the county has reasonable suspicion to believe that the person is using. Unfortunately, the list of suspicious behaviors includes violent behavior, inability to verbalize, bizarre behavior, nausea or vomiting, muscular incoordination all of which could also be symptoms of other illnesses. Those testing positive are given a hearing, referred to treatment and prohibited from GA/MFIP for three years after hearing decision is reached. NAMI has great concerns with this bill knowing the high numbers of people who live with a serious mental illness and substance abuse. This could throw even more people into being homeless.