Session Deadlocks Over Budget
by Anne L. Henry, Minnesota Disability Law Center

The 2004 session of the Minnesota Legislature ended without a budget agreement and no bonding bill for State building projects. Both the House and Senate spent considerable time fashioning budget bills to deal with the State’s deficit of $160 million for this second year of the biennium. Despite these efforts, no agreement between the House and Senate was reached before the Constitutional adjournment deadline of May 17.

The huge cuts in programs and services for persons with disabilities enacted last session when our State faced a $4.5 billion deficit continue to hurt many in Minnesota. However, the House and Senate did adopt changes to repair some of the damage done by last session’s massive cuts ...

Supreme Court Decision
by Kathleen Hagen, Staff Attorney, Minnesota Disability Law Center

One Step Toward Equality in Access to Public Services Under Title II of the ADA. In February 2004, when we discussed the oral argument of Tennessee vs. Lane, I asked the question: Will the Supreme Court limit jurisdiction under Title II of the ADA? The answer is no, at least not for now. The court found that a plaintiff may file a lawsuit for private damages under Title II of the ADA when the limited access to service involves a fundamental right guaranteed by the 14th amendment of the Constitution, such as the ability to gain access to, and use the services of, the courthouse. The Supreme Court made no finding on other issues which could be brought under Title II against states ...

Care Continuum Defined
by Lance H Hegland

We often hear the term “long-term care continuum” outlining our options for support services. But, what specifically are some of the choices within the “continuum” and what distinguishes one from the other? ...

National Health Insurance: How to Pay For It, Option 2
by Jeff Nygaard

In the April 2004 issue of Access Press I summarized a plan for a universal, single-payer health care system as developed by the Physicians Working Group (PWG) on Single-Payer National Health Insurance, an ad hoc collaboration of 18 of the nation's top physicians (“Could Universal Healthcare Work?”). Last month I explained how our current United States health care system is being financed, and sketched out one proposal for financing a universal, single-payer health care system. This month I present a somewhat different proposal for financing such a system, this one drawn from testimony by the PWG in Congress in support of the United States National Health Insurance Act (H.R. 676), which was introduced by Representative John Conyers ...

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Last updated on June 20, 2004
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