[MN-ABS] Legislative Action Alert: Subminimum Wages

[dandrews920 at comcast.net]

Minnesota Federationists:

 

There will be a hearing Thursday at 9:00AM in the House Ways and Means Committee on the House Human Services omnibus, which contains the Governor’s recommendations for a subminimum wage phase-out. Although there is broad and strong support for this move, the opposition is also active. Therefore the legislators need to hear from as many of us as possible that the time is now for ending this outdated practice and focusing resources instead on transitioning to a model that supports people moving into integrated competitive employment.

Below is an email template that you can personalize and send to key legislators (this will be helpful now as well as beyond this specific hearing, so the “to” in the template includes the senate and house leadership in general as well as the Human Services committee chairs in both houses). 

Here also is the roster for the Ways and Means Committee with their contact info <https://www.house.mn.gov/Committees/members/93028> ; Contact any or all of them, but especially check to see if you are a constituent of any of these and be sure to send one to your representative if they are on this list.

If you opt to call rather than email, you can just say “Please support the governor’s recommendations for phasing out the use of subminimum wages in Minnesota.” 

If you’re interested in attending the hearing in person and/or have questions, please let me know. 

Without further ado, here is the sample email, which you can simplify or modify as works for you.

 

To:  

 <mailto:rep.melissa.hortman at house.mn.gov> rep.melissa.hortman at house.mn.gov;  <mailto:rep.jamie.long at house.mn.gov> rep.jamie.long at house.mn.gov;  <mailto:sen.kari.dziedzic at senate.mn> sen.kari.dziedzic at senate.mn;  <mailto:sen.bobby.champion at senate.mn> sen.bobby.champion at senate.mn;  <mailto:rep.mohamud.noor at house.mn.gov> rep.mohamud.noor at house.mn.gov;  <mailto:sen.john.hoffman at senate.mn> sen.john.hoffman at senate.mn 

 

Subject: Phase Out Subminimum Wages Now! 

Email Body:
(Please personalize this message!) 

Dear Legislative Leaders, 

The Minnesota Legislature has a historic opportunity to end the outdated, discriminatory practice of paying people with disabilities less than minimum wage. Please support the Governor’s proposal (included in the House Human Services Omnibus bill,  <https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=HF2847&version=1&session=ls93&session_year=2023&session_number=0> HF 2847) to increase wages and workforce participation for people with disabilities. This bill will phase out subminimum wages and will strategically invest in providers to support the transition of their business models. 

Decades ago, Minnesota led the effort to provide people with disabilities meaningful opportunities to work in their communities. Where Minnesota was once at the forefront of these efforts, the state now lags behind. Despite being less populated than about half of the country, Minnesota has the most workers paid at subminimum wage per capita in the nation. Some subminimum wage workers in Minnesota earn as little as 7 cents per hour.  

This bill advances the civil rights and economic inclusion of people with disabilities in Minnesota by expanding statewide infrastructure to support people with disabilities in competitive employment and ending the use of subminimum wages. I urge your support.

Sincerely,

[First and Last Name] 

 

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