Advocacy and Legislative Links
In the News
STATE Action Alert: April 2, 2025
Urge State Leadership to Protect Waiver-Funded Disability Services from Spending Cuts
The MN Senate and MN House released their budget targets in recent days. As expected, these targets indicate the Human Services Committees in the MN legislature will need to come forward with significant budget cuts. Please act now in support of disability services during this crucial time!
Reach out to your MN House and Senate members today. Please feel free to use the language below, adjust, and share your personal story.
Note: Adjust the language highlighted in orange to reflect your details and relationship with Partnership Resources.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear [Rep Insert Name/Sen Insert Name],
My name is [insert your name], and I am one of your constituents. In addition to being a constituent, I also [provide, receive, have a family member who receives, etc.] disability services at Partnership Resources, Inc. (PRI), a nonprofit with locations in the Twin Cities Metro Area.
With the recent release of the Senate and House budget targets, I know you and your fellow lawmakers are entering a critical phase of your work on behalf of the state and your constituents. During this time, please protect waiver-funded disability services from spending cuts.
PRI provides disability employment and enrichment services to 265 Minnesotans with disabilities and employs 75 individuals. With 65 years of experience as a provider, we witness daily the positive impact that access to waiver-funded disability services has on members of our community. These services not only enhance the lives of individuals with disabilities but also contribute to a more inclusive and diverse workforce in Minnesota.
Services also enable individuals with disabilities to participate in community activities, access employment opportunities, and build meaningful relationships, which are crucial for their overall well-being and inclusion in society. Funding cuts would result in fewer resources to hire and retain qualified staff, which is essential for providing these high-quality disability services. Reducing funding could also lead to a decreased quality of care and longer waiting times for services.
I am asking you to please advocate against cutting waiver-funded disability services. Reducing funding will undermine our state’s initiatives to resolve the workforce shortage in disability services. It will negate the considerable progress achieved in recent years, which is vital for supporting Minnesotans with disabilities to lead connected and engaged lives.
As Human Services budgets are being crafted, I respectfully request that you prioritize the protection of disability services. It is crucial to recognize the importance of community members with disabilities and their support staff in your legislative efforts.
Thank you,
[INSERT YOUR NAME, HOME ADDRESS, PHONE]
FEDERAL Action Alert: February 17, 2025
Urge Congress to reject Medicaid cuts and protect services for people with disabilities
Historically, PRI’s advocacy has focused on State legislation. This year, we need your help with both State and Federal actions. Today, we are asking you to contact your Federal Representatives and Senators. Use the legislative finder and your home address to find your U.S. House and Senate congress members.
At the Federal level, congressional leaders have released a budget draft that calls for at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, with Medicaid likely facing some of the deepest cuts. If Congress is successful in passing its budget resolution, it would direct further legislation to make these drastic cuts, which could:
- Shift Medicaid costs to states, forcing them to cut provider rates or reduce essential services.
- Threaten home and community-based services (HCBS), leading to longer waitlists and higher rates of institutionalization.
- Put individuals with I/DD at risk of losing critical supports that allow them to live independently.
Why Your Action Matters
Members of Congress rely on feedback from their constituents when making decisions on public policy. Studies show that direct outreach from constituents is the most effective way to influence legislators—your voice truly makes a difference. That’s why it’s critical to act now and tell Congress to protect Medicaid and the services individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) rely on.
Please feel free to use the language below in your advocacy for disability services.
Note: Add language in the highlighted sections to reflect your personal information and connection to disability services.
Subject Line: Reject Medicaid cuts and protect services for people with disabilities.
Dear [Insert Your Federal Senator/Representative/member of Congress],
I am writing as your constituent to ask you to protect Medicaid and to urge Congressional leaders to oppose any cuts to Medicaid funding and major structural changes in a budget reconciliation package, tax bill, or any other legislation this year. If such cuts to Medicaid are included, I ask you to oppose the legislation.
In Minnesota, we care for each other and know we all do better when every person, no exception, has access to the care they need. For nearly 60 years, Medicaid has provided Minnesotans access to critical services.
I am deeply concerned about the House budget resolution that directs the Energy and Commerce Committee to cut at least $880 billion, which would almost certainly lead to deep Medicaid reductions. These cuts would devastate home and community-based services (HCBS) for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and put more financial strain on states.
These proposed cuts would:
- Jeopardize HCBS funding, leading to longer waitlists and fewer services.
- Force states to absorb billions in costs, inevitably resulting in reduced care.
- Harm people with disabilities, who rely on Medicaid for independence and life-sustaining support.
[EDITABLE SECTION: Add your personal story or message such as the impacts if services are not provided, what services provide and why it matters]
Please oppose this harmful proposal and stand up for Medicaid’s vital role in supporting individuals with I/DD and their families.
No matter what form cuts to Medicaid come in, the result is sicker families and children who will miss school and work due to untreated illness, and fewer supports for older adults and people with disabilities. Medicaid helps those who need it most, including 6 in 10 seniors in nursing homes, 40 percent of American children, and over 10 million people with disabilities. Health care cuts hurt Minnesotans and put our hospitals at risk, particularly in rural communities.
Thank you for fighting to protect Medicaid across the country and our state’s Medical Assistance program.
Sincerely,
[Insert Your Name and State]
Action Alert: January 29, 2025
Urge State Leadership to Protect and Prioritize Funding for Disability Services the Budget
The State Legislative session is quickly proving to be quite interesting this year. We already have our first request from our coalition to take action. Please act now in support of disability services during this legislative session!
This is an opportune time to reach out to your State Legislators, introduce yourself, and inform them of the Governor’s Budget impacts. Please feel free to use the language below, adjust, and share your personal story.
Note: Adjust the language in the second paragraph to reflect your relationship with Partnership Resources.
Dear [Rep Insert Name/Sen Insert Name],
My name is [insert your name], and I am one of your constituents. Welcome to the 2025 MN Legislative Session and thank you for representing our community in the legislature.
In addition to being a constituent, I also [provide, receive, have a family member that receives, etc.] disability services at Partnership Resources, Inc., a nonprofit with locations in the Twin Cities Metro Area. At Partnership Resources, Inc. (PRI), 265 Minnesotans with disabilities receive essential services.
Today, I am reaching out to share the impact of the Governor’s proposed budget. Access to disability services is one of the legislative issues most important to me. It was extremely disappointing last week to see the proposed state funding reductions for the disability services we provide included in the Governor’s proposed budget. State reimbursement rates for our services go primarily to staff wages. Funding reductions like those in the Governor’s budget will further perpetuate the already too-low wages we are able to offer to our staff, which in turn will make it harder for the people in our district with significant disabilities to access the supports they need to gain new skills and increase their independence.
I know you and your fellow lawmakers will have to grapple with challenging questions this session about how to meet the critical needs of our state within the confines of the revenue available. I am asking you to see your community members with disabilities and their support staff as a priority in that work. Please advocate this session to protect and prioritize funding for disability services. It is already challenging to offer our incredibly valuable front line disability service staff the competitive wages and benefits they deserve. We must take steps forward – not backward- on efforts to address the disability services workforce shortage to better support Minnesotans with disabilities to live full and meaningful lives.
I will be following up with you on disability service issues this session, including my strong concern about the Governor’s proposed reductions for disability services. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if I can be a resource to you on this topic.
Thank you,
[INSERT YOUR NAME, HOME ADDRESS, PHONE]