Urgent - We need your help!

A-Team Minnesota is one of 21 state organizations within the national A-Team USA network. A-Team MN was founded by families who have a member with significant intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD).

Volunteer A-Team MN families are spending time at the Minnesota Capitol meeting with legislators advocating for the civil rights, human rights, and dignity of our family members with a significant disability.

Honoring Choice - My Home, My Work, and My Life

Supporting Person-Centered Plans & Informed Choice

March 20, 2023

Urgent - Action Alert

We need your help!!

Share this alert with family, friends &

community partners who will contact legislators.

The time to act is NOW!

Contact MN House and Senate Human Services Policy

and Finance Committee Members

Ask them to oppose subminimum wage task force recommendations

and provisions in these bills: HF2847/SF2934

Background:

If adopted, this legislation will eliminate center-based commensurate special wages (subminimum wages) and lead to elimination of jobs for those who choose it.

Advocates for elimination of special wages include ARC MN, MN Disability Law Center, MN Autism Society. They advocated for and led the task force to plan for the elimination of center-based special wage work options. Their recommendations are in HF247/SF2934.

They:

intentionally excluded from their task force, representation of people with disabilities and their families who are most informed, understand, and choose special wage work options.

did not go to special wage workplace sites to learn and to be informed/educated.

did not go directly to workers with a disability who work in a special wage work site to ask them what they want.

They:

tell legislators that those who choose this special wage work option and their families are not aware of jobs in the general workforce and that they are afraid of change.

tell legislators that taking away this work option will decrease poverty rates among people with a disability.

tell legislators they are working to advance the civil rights of people with a significant intellectual or developmental disability.

Your Action Needed!

Send emails to House and Senate committee members, copy their staff and add your own legislator. See email addresses below. Copy and paste group emails into the TO and CC lines of your email.

Personal messages are best! Be brief and to the point.

Write one email to send to all. Copy and paste email addresses listed below.

Include in your message:

Brief description of the disability of your family member

Tell them that you are the voice of and advocate for your family member due to their significant intellectual and developmental disability

Tell them in one sentence what is important to you

Briefly describe the Work and Life choices of your family member, what it means to your loved one and that you want those choices respected

Ask them to honor your loved one's choices - Include: My Work, My Home, My Life, My Choice

Tell them you are informed and have more experience and a better understanding of what is best for your family member than ARC MN.

Tell them you are advocating for the civil rights, human rights, and dignity of your family member.

Ask them to oppose the elimination of special wage work options.

Ask them to oppose subminimum wage task force recommendations

and provisions in these bills: HF2847/SF2934

Ask them to support a full array of work option choices.

Thank them for reading your email.

House Human Services Policy and Finance Committee Members

Email addresses: Copy and paste these into the To address of your email

Committee Members:

[email protected]

rep. [email protected]

[email protected]

CC Their Legislative Assistants

Email addresses - copy and paste these into the CC of your email.

[email protected]

Mary.McNamarahouse.mn.gov

[email protected]

Senate Human Services Committee Members

Committee Members:

Email addresses: Copy and paste these into the To address of your email

[email protected]

CC Their Legislative Assistants

Email addresses - copy and paste these into the CC of the email.

[email protected]

How to Find Your Own Legislators

How to find who represents you and their contact information click this link. Or, go to www.https://www.leg.mn.gov

If you want help locating your legislators and contacting them respond to this email with a request. We are happy to assist.

Disability Day Rally at the Capitol

Mach 28, 2023 - 10 - 11:00 a.m.

Mark your calendar and plan to attend. More information will soon be sent to you.