Dear Neighbors,
Today is the Mental Health Legislative Network’s Day on the Hill, and I was honored with an invitation to address the large gathering of advocates. These folks traveled from all over the state—including Rochester—to advocate for services that help people with mental illnesses recover, control the symptoms of the illness, and be as independent and productive as possible.
We have heard several times from our state economist that the future of our population is many more retired people and fewer workers. Since the number of working people will not be growing as fast as those who depend on them, the key to our state’s continued economic strength is increasing the productivity of every worker. This can mean everything from better education and job skills, to better transportation systems that save time and money. It also means investing in every Minnesotan to help them be as well and functional as possible. A high quality mental health system is an investment in productivity. Simply put, Minnesota can’t afford to leave any person behind.
In the House Health and Human Services (HHS) committees we have been hearing bills that try to meet the pressing needs of our state. Just today we heard bills to increase funding for the Family Assets for Independence program, the Homeless Youth Act, and a collection of proposals for housing and services called Homes for All. All of these bills emphasize the same theme: smart investments in services for people who are low income, homeless, or challenged in other ways are not only the right thing to do: they are the smart thing to do for Minnesota’s future.
Members of the party in the majority usually carry (i.e. sponsor) most of the bills, and I am glad to see that GOP members have stepped up to do that in health and human services. I hope the House GOP will follow through and create a budget to enhance and improve these important services that many Minnesotans desperately need.
Warmly,
Tina