2a392k31wksy2wkejf1y03dp-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com



NAMI Minnesota Legislative Update August 9, 2020Minnesota Primary Election on TuesdayThis Tuesday, August 11, Minnesota will hold the 2020 primary. A primary is where all the major political parties choose who will represent them on the ballot for the 2020 general election. Not all races are closely contested, but in the ones that are, the outcome can be tremendously important. NAMI Minnesota does not support or endorse any candidate or political party. Nevertheless, we strongly encourage NAMI Minnesota members and supporters to participate in the August primary.Voting in a primary election is just like voting in the general election. You have the option to vote early by mail, vote early in person, or to vote in person on the primary election day. The first step you need to take is to make sure you are registered to vote at your current address. If you recently moved, then you'll have to register to vote at your new address, even if you only moved a couple of blocks. You can check to see if your HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" registered to vote here. If you're not registered, it's not too late for you to vote in the primary election on Tuesday. All you have to do is HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" register in-person on election day. In order to do this, you go to your local polling station and confirm you live in the precinct in one of the following ways:Show a valid Government issued photo-ID like a drivers license or Tribal ID that has your current addressShow a government issued photo-ID and another document with your address like a utility bill. With this option, it's okay if your ID is expired.Have a registered voter in your precinct vouch that you live at your address.If you moved a short distance within the same precinct and were registered to vote at your former address, all you have to do is show up and provide an updated address at your polling location.Some colleges provide a housing list to election officials. If you are a college student on the list, then all you have to do is show your student ID.If you registered to vote within 20 days of the election, you can use your notice of late registration at the polling location in order to vote.If you live in a residential facility, it may be possible for a staff-person to vouch for you at the polling location. This does not include IRTS facilities. You can learn more about that option HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" here.Once you've registered to vote in-person on election day, you're good to go and will not need to register again until you move.While voting by mail can be a good option for many people, it is now too late to vote by mail for the primary election. If you want to vote by mail in the general eleation, you can still do so by going to the Secretary of State's website and HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" request an absentee ballot.Even if you forgot to request an absentee ballot for the primary, there are still two other ways you can vote. Your first option is to vote early in-person. You can find more information about HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" voting early in-person here, but the most important thing to know is that you will most likely vote at HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" your county election office, which is required to be open on the Monday before the election until 5 PM.Thank you for being a voter! If you have any additional questions about voting, don't hesitate to reach out to HYPERLINK "mailto:ssmith@" \t "_blank" Sam Smith or the HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Secretary of State's office.NAMI Minnesota Virtual Walk Coming Up Next MonthAs we move into the tail end of summer, it is only 47 days until the 2020 NAMIWalk in Minnesota. Due to COVID-19, our 2020 walk will be done virtually. While we will miss the opportunity to see each other at Minnehaha Falls and celebrate with others in support of the importance of mental health, we will be joining together virtually - walking or celebrating our own way. The 2020 walk is more important than ever. NAMI Minnesota typically raises 25% of our overall budget through the walk. However, we have had to cancel all other in-person fundraising events due to COVID-19, so your fundraising efforts for the 2020 walk are essential to the continued existence of NAMI Minnesota.Now more than ever, we are counting on NAMI Minnesota members and supporters to chip and and support our mission to provide education, support, and advocacy for people with mental illnesses and their families. NAMI Minnesota has been able to deliver major legislative wins at the capitol due to the support of people like you. Big wins made possible by the NAMIWalk include funding increases for school-linked mental health, raising the standards for police training on mental illnesses, solitary confinement reforms, and major funding increases for suicide prevention and our community mental health system.NAMI Minnesota's advocacy efforts will not be possible without a successful walk this year. We've done a lot but our work is not done. As we gear up for what will be a very challenging 2020 session, we are counting on you to step up and do your part in support of the NAMIWalk. With just 47 days until the walk, we have only raised 12% of our goal of $300,000. What we need you to do is HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" register for the walk, make a contribution that feels meaningful for you, and then engage your family and friends in supporting NAMI Minnesota. You can share your page on social media and reach out to your friends directly. Every little bit helps!You can make a team of your own, or join the dozens of teams already available like HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Sue Abderholden's SueNAMI team or the HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Public Policy Team including members of the legislative committee. If we all do our part, we'll be able to reach this fundraising goal and deliver on our mission to support people with mental illnesses and their families. Thank you so much for chipping in to sustain NAMI Minnesota during this challenging time.Find out who represents you HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Click hereNews from the State LevelMinnesota's Projected Budget Deficit Continues to GrowThe COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to wreak havoc on Minnesota's budget. In HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" a report from the Minnesota Office of Management and Budget, Commissioner Franz revealed that the projected budget deficit has grown from $2.4 billion to $4.7 billion. Even with Minnesota's $2.35 billion rainy day fund, we will be facing a very challenging budget in the 2021 legislative session, particularly because the demand for public programs - food, housing, health care, mental health services - will increase as the economic downturn continues. COVID-19 is placing additional pressure on our mental health system as well. Federal COVID relief packages may also include relief for state budgets, but contentious and drawn out negotiations between the US House and Senate are not leaving a lot of room for optimism. We know that mental health providers are already struggling to keep their doors open and meet increased needs. Read the letter sent to the MN Senate and government officials about funding HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" here. NAMI is especially worried about the impact of COVID-19 on children's mental health. Read NAMI Minnesota's executive director's blog post on the topic HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" here. With the pressure to find savings across state government, it will be imperative for NAMI members and the rest of the mental health community to get ready to make our voices heard at the capitol. HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" (MinnPost) We Need to Hear From You on TelehealthSo much has changed in the way we deliver mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. While we all look forward to the time when in-person visits are safe again, this has presented Minnesota with the unique opportunity to experiment with providing more services via telemedicine. We are counting on NAMI members to let us know what's working, what could work better, and if there are any changes you would like to see become permanent going forward. To hear from our network of supporters, NAMI Minnesota created a HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" survey and we urge you to take it. It takes about 10 minutes to complete. Responses to this survey will play an important role in setting NAMI Minnesota's 2021 telemedicine agenda, so be sure and complete the survey and pass it along to others who may be interested. Thank you for your input on our legislative agenda!Criminal Justice UpdateThe House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law committee held an HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" informational hearing on Wednesday on criminal justice reform. The hearing focused on issues that create wealth-based disparities in the justice system such as forfeitures, cash bail, court fines and fees, and record expungements. Legislators may try to take action on these issues during the third special session convening on Wednesday and will continue to address them in the 2021 session. NAMI submitted a HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" letter to the committee to raise issues with treatment courts and competency restoration.The Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board is planning an overhaul of the HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" rules that govern the licensing of law enforcement officers in the state. This week the board issued a request for comments and applications to an advisory committee for changing the rules. NAMI will be reviewing the rules and submitting comments to ensure that all law enforcement officers in Minnesota receive adequate preservice and continuing education and training on people with mental illnesses and crisis intervention. You can read this HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Star Tribune article about recent changes to the POST Board required in the police reform legislation passed last month.NAMI has also been working with the Department of Corrections to amend the HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" rules governing mental health care in jails. Some of our proposed changes include requiring follow up care for people who screen positive on a mental health intake screen and those who indicate symptoms of a mental illness while in solitary confinement. If the changes are agreed to by all stakeholders, including the Minnesota Sheriffs Association, they will require all jails to create policies and procedures for follow up care for people who are in the jail for more than 14 days. Unlike prisons which are run by the state, jails are operated by counties and most people in jails are being detained before their trial or conviction and are released within several days. In addition to these changes NAMI will continue to advocate for timely access to medication in jail and adequate discharge planning to connect people to services upon release.News from Federal LevelTrump Administration Meddles with 2020 CensusThis week the Trump Administration announced that they would be ending all counting efforts for the 2020 census on September 30th. This is a month earlier than previously announced and threatens the integrity of the census, particularly for hard to count rural areas and communities with more people of color. This is a sudden and unexpected change for a process that is typically nonpartisan and noncontroversial, particularly given the additional challenges that census officials face with the COVID-19 pandemic. Four previous census officials - who served collectively under nine presidents from both parties - have HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" issued a letter in opposition to ending the count early. In their statement, these officials contend that if the deadline is not set for October there will be "seriously incomplete enumerations in many areas across our country." The census determines how many congressional seats each state has, as well as the level of federal funding for many important programs. NAMI Minnesota hopes that the Trump Administration steps back from this decision and allows nonpartisan experts to conduct the most accurate census that is possible in the midst of a pandemic. HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" (NPR) President Trump Signs Executive Order on TelehealthPresident Trump signed an executive order this week calling on federal agencies to further expand access to telehealth services with a focus on rural communities. Under this executive order, HHS Secretary Azar must review existing waivers around the delivery of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and extend the waivers that are benefiting Americans. Secretary Azar must also submit a report to the president on how to increase access to health care in rural areas by reducing regulatory and disease burdens and improve maternal and mental health in rural areas. Read the HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" full executive order here or HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" click here for a one-page fact sheet from the White House. (National Council)House Passes FY 21 Appropriation PackageLast Friday, the House of Representatives passed a package of fiscal year 2021 appropriations bills which include funding levels for federal health programs for the year ahead. The House provided a $96 million increase in funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), as well as increases or level funding across other programs of high importance to National Council and our members. Although the full House considered roughly 300 amendments to the original appropriations package, the HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" behavioral health provisions remained largely unchanged. The Senate now must complete its own appropriations negotiations for FY21. (National Council)HHS Extends Deadline for Provider Relief FundsLast week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) extended the deadline for providers to apply for the Medicaid/CHIP Provider relief fund through August 28. HHS has also announced that the Medicare Provider relief fund will be re-opened for providers that did not receive funding during the first allocation. While there are still some open questions, it appears as if HHS is seeking to reimburse all eligible providers for approximately 2% of gross receipts from patient care. (National Council)Tell our policymakers to #TalkAboutMentalHealth at the upcoming nominating conventions! Later this month, national party organizations will be gathering to officially nominate their candidates for President and Vice President of the United States and to finalize the policy platforms they’ll be supporting for the next four years.?Join the movement to encourage our leaders to take action—use the tools below to tell party leaders to HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" #TalkAboutMentalHealth during next month’s conventions: (Tweet! We can’t ignore our struggling #mentalhealth and #addiction care systems any longer. @TheDemocrats & @GOP, #TalkAboutMentalHealth at the nominating conventions! HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" 1 in 5 Americans live with a mental health condition. @TheDemocrats & @GOP, how do you plan to support this community? #TalkAboutMentalHealth at your presidential nominating conventions! HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" #demconvention?#RNC2020 Join the movement to encourage our leaders to take action for mental health and addiction—use @MHforUS’s tools to tell party leaders to #TalkAboutMentalHealth?during this month’s conventions!? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" #MentalHealthforUS With one in five Americans living with a mental illness and one in 12 living with addiction, the need for comprehensive mental health and addiction reform to be included in these conversations has never been more urgent. This becomes even more critical when you consider the fact that the psychological impacts of the coronavirus pandemic are leading to unprecedented rates of suicide and overdose deaths and increasing the demand for mental health services around the country.?The time for awareness is over. We need to hear how our leaders will take action to invest in evidence-based prevention strategies, expand and improve timely access to treatment and interventions, and support those living in recovery. Updates from NAMI MinnesotaNAMI Legislative CommitteeMeetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month at 6 PM. To be added to the email list, contact HYPERLINK "mailto:ssmith@" \t "_blank" Sam Smith. If you missed the complete summary of the 2020 Legislative Sessions, click HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" here HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" . NAMI Minnesota | 1919 University Ave. W., Ste. 400 | St. Paul, MN 55104 HYPERLINK "mailto:namihelps@" \t "_blank" namihelps@ | HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" htttp:// 651-645-2948 | 1-888-NAMI-HELPS HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" ? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" ? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" ? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" ABOUT NAMI HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" GET INVOLVED HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" EDUCATION HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" SUPPORT HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" CONTACT USCopyright ? 2020. All Rights Reserved. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download