The Access Press Candidate Survey
Mike Hatch
(DFL
endorsed)
I have spent my career
fighting discrimination on many fronts, including discrimination
against our citizens with disabilities. In
2004 I received an award from the National Association of Protection
in Advocacy Systems for the filing of “friend of the court” briefs
that advocated for the rights of the disabled in several U.S. Supreme
Court cases. The Association represents the interests of disabled
people in courts, administrative agencies and before Congress.
One example of the cases in which I advocated on behalf of the
disabled is Tennessee v. Lain. That case involved a paraplegic
man who could not access an upper-floor court in which his case
was being heard without getting out of his chair and pulling himself
up the stairs. I led nine other attorneys general in advocating
its state government to provide reasonable access to the court under
the Americans with Disabilities Act. The friend of the court brief
argued that the humiliation of crawling or being carried by officers
into the court room was a violation of the First, Fourth, Fifth,
Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. The
Supreme Court issued a decision favorable to the disabled, requiring
that state government provide accessible facilities to people
with disabilities.
My work in the health care area has similarly benefited
the disabled. For instance, my office forged a precedent setting
agreement with all 125 Minnesota hospitals that they will not charge
the uninsured more than the insured. In addition, we were the first
in the nation to establish an independent mental health court that
reviews, within 24 hours, all HMO denials of coverage. As governor, I
will continue my advocacy and implementation of health care reforms
that will make health care more accessible and affordable for
everyone. I am also very sensitive to the funding issues regarding
services to the disabled including PCA assistance and medical
and transportation services. In a Hatch administration, the
funding for such essential services will be a priority. I will
not balance the state budget on the backs of people who are in need
of these services. I will also appoint a Commissioner of Human
Rights who is not only very knowledgeable about disability discrimination,
but is a true advocate for the rights of the disabled.
It is simply a matter of fundamental fairness that people with
disabilities be provided the opportunity, to the fullest extent possible,
to participate in the affairs of the community and be a productive
member of our society. Protecting the rights of the disabled,
creating an environment that will allow people with disabilities
to thrive and develop their talents, will enrich and benefit all
of us.
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