2005 Legislative battle
The Welfare Rights Committee is gearing up for the 2005 legislative session.
We will be working on legislation to undo some of the worst cuts to poor and
working Minnesotans. To pay for it, our bill will close corporate tax
loopholes. This is the same thing we fought for in the '04 session. We will
also be pushing for a bill to roll back the tax cuts to the richest in MN!
Senators Linda Berglin and Larry Pogemiller sponsored our bill last session
(SF1991). The '04 legislative session ended in a stalemate, but the
suffering of poor and disabled families did not go away. We are determined
to do the legislation again.
testimony from 2-3
Background
"Fund Human Needs, Not Corporate Greed" Bill from 2004 session:
The bill undoes many of the harmful cuts to the poor, working people, the
ill and disabled. The bill "funds" undoing the cuts by closing two corporate
tax loopholes.
Undoing the cuts:
1) This bill undoes two of the biggest and worst welfare cuts in the
history of Minnesota. The bill repeals the $125 per person, per month MFIP
grant cut to families with disabled family members (this is often called the
"SSI cut"). It also repeals the $50 per month MFIP grant cut to families in
subsidized housing.
2) The bill also will undo a law passed last year that forces people to use
their assets to pay their share of Medical Assistance costs and puts liens
on the property of sick people who are forced to use Medical Assistance
because of serious or terminal illness.
3) Finally, the bill also reduces the parental fees for families who use
TEFRA to pay for health care and services for their disabled children - fees
and income restrictions that rose astronomically last year.
Closing corporate tax loopholes: