When the 2012 Minnesota Legislature gavels into session Jan. 24, the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (MN-CCD) will have its legislative agenda set. Despite cautious optimism about a recently announced $876 million state surplus, members expect a difficult legislative session. Member organizations’ representative will meet Dec. 14 to set the agenda and choose the organization’s ...

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After a two-hour hearing in federal district court on Thursday, Dec. 1, Judge Donovan Frank ordered final approval of the settlement of the class action lawsuit prompted by excessive use of restraint of residents of the Minnesota Extended Treatment Options (METO) in Cambridge. Parents of three METO residents brought this lawsuit in 2009 and sought ...

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All eyes are on the state capitol as Gov. Mark Dayton and state lawmakers decide how to handle Minnesota’s plus-$5 billion budget deficit. As Access Press went to press, state leaders were still divided on the state’s budget woes. Unless a special legislative session is held in June, state government will largely shut down July ...

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For Minnesota’s disability community, the 2010 legislative session may be remembered, like so many others, as one which there could have been much worse consequences.  As it turned out, most existing services were spared but few gains were made as the Minnesota Legislature adjourned May 17. Leaders of statewide disability organizations and self-advocates are already ...

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A fee increase included in the recently approved state budget agreement is a tax on families who have children with disabilities, according to The Arc of Minnesota, an advocacy group for persons with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. “Why are we targeting families who are trying to raise their children with disabilities?” said Pat Mellenthin, Executive ...

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We have all seen it–some have even tried to stop it–but the reality is some people with disabilities in Minnesota have faced significant budget cuts and resulting changes in MinnesotaCare, Medical Assistance, Metro Mobility and Greater Minnesota transit services, just to name a few. After three years of budget deficits, the state is facing another ...

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Families of persons with disabilities sometimes face an array of different questions and issues when planning for the future. Among these is how to plan ahead financially for the family member with a disability. The fact is that the majority of people who live with a disability will, at some point in time, need some ...

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Next year, the disability community will be losing one of its strongest advocates when State Representative Kevin Goodno retires.  Goodno, 39, says he plans on spending more time with his two daughters and his wife, who is expecting a third child in August. Disability advocates and legislators alike all agree that perhaps the single most important ...

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Articles/Contributors: 1998 Legislative Review: Victories, Compromises, and Losses by Charlie Smith Court Ruling Gives "Death Sentence" to People with Disabilities, by Bob Griss Editor’s Column, by Charlie Smith The Twenty-Four Hour Occupation. by LeAnne Dahl Bad News and Good News, by Pete Feigal Hello Nicole, by Nicole God's Majestic Creation, by Maureen Pranghofer A Psychological View of Disability Culture, by Carol J. Gill, Ph.D. You ...

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Contributors: Department of Human Services-Proposes Major Changes in Medical Assistance Rules, by Luther Granquist Metro Mobility Service: Quality Needs to Remain a Priority, by Charlie Smith Editor’s Column, Charlie Smith Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome: Beyond CFIDS, by Marjory Aldrich MOVIE REVIEW: "When Billy Broke His Head. . ." is a Winner, by Jeff Nygaard Hello Nicole, by Nicole Parenting God's Angels, ...

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 • At its September 19 meeting, the Minnesota State Council on Disability chose access to health care for persons with disabilities as its primary legislative initiative for the coming year.  This is an issue whose time has definitely come, and it will require a good deal of concentrated effort.  Among the specific health care issues of ...

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