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May 21 - Session Wrap-Up - Despite an anti-LGBTQ majority in the Minnesota House, anti-LGBTQ efforts did not become law. We owe Governor Dayton, Majority Leader Bakk, and all of our pro-equality elected officials a debt of gratitude for standing firm for us.
Republicans tried to use discrimination against transgender students as negotiating leverage, pushing for a policy that would ban students from accessing bathrooms of the gender they live every day. We were able to keep the bathroom surveillance provision out of the final education bill. For more information check out Andy Birkey’s article for the Colu.mn
The final education budget also fully funded the School Safety Technical Assistance Center’s efforts to create a safe and supportive learning environment for all students, including LGBTQ students.
Special thanks should go to Senator Chuck Wiger for leading the fight for LGBTQ kids in the Education conference committee.
At a time of a historic budget surplus, Republicans demanded cuts to health insurance programs serving low-income Minnesotans. Because LGBTQ people are more likely than non-LGBTQ people to be low income, OutFront Minnesota was part of the fight to preserve these programs. Despite an intensive effort by the Republicans, MinnesotaCare will remain intact and continue delivering high quality, affordable health care. Unfortunately MinnesotaCare enrollees will take a financial hit given higher cost-sharing increases and out of pocket costs.
For more information about how the budget negotiations shook out check out MPR’s 2015 Crib Sheet.
As this legislative session has come to a contentious but perhaps temporary end, we are seeing a clear difference in priorities. We need to be able to tell our friends and neighbors who is standing up for us and who is trying to take away the freedom that we’ve worked so hard to gain. Donate right now so we can keep fighting for a state where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people are free to be who they are, love who they love, and live without fear of violence, harassment or discrimination.
This could have been the session where we expanded healthcare for transgender people. It could have been the session where we ended the practice of conversion therapy for minors. Instead, we saw extreme anti-LGBTQ Republicans come after transgender kids and try to strip away marriage protections. Chip in right now so that we can protect and continue the progress we’ve made together.
May 14 - The session is slated to end on Monday, but the legislature still has a lot of work to do. Governor Dayton, Majority Leader Bakk, and House Speaker Daudt have not reached an agreement on the final budget compromise so none of the budget bills can move forward.
We are still working hard to keep the bathroom surveillance provision out of the Education bill. The Governor has been very clear that he doesn't want any controversial policy in the budget bills and the Senate soundly rejected the provision, but our opponents are working hard so we can’t let our guard down.
Funding for Safe Schools is also up in the air. Whether or not the $1 million is included in the final bill will depend on the budget target. The closer the final number is to the GOP's figure the less likely we are to get the safe schools funding.
We urge you to contact email Gov. Dayton or call him at 651-201-3400 / 800-657-3717 and let him know you support an education bill that:
- EXCLUDES the anti-transgender bathroom surveillance policy and
- INCLUDES fully funding for the Safe Schools Technical Assistance Center to prevent bullying and protect all youth.
May 6 - Take Action Now to Support Trans Youth & Safe Schools Funding
Since the House and the Senate have each passed different versions of the K-12 Education bill, the Education Conference Committee (made up of both Representatives and Senators) is now in charge of resolving the differences. Committee members are working to reach an agreement on a single bill that must be passed by the House and the Senate and then signed by the Governor.
We need you to contact committee members and let them know you support a conference committee education bill that:
- EXCLUDES the anti-transgender bathroom surveillance policy and
- INCLUDES fully funding for the Safe Schools Technical Assistance Center to prevent bullying and protect all youth.
|
Senators |
Phone |
|
| Charles Wiger (DFL)* Alice Johnson (DFL) LeRoy Stumpf (DFL) Kevin Dahle (DFL) Eric Pratt (R) |
651-296-6820 651-296-2556 651-296-8660 651-296-1279 651-296-4123 |
Use email form online** |
|
Representatives |
Phone |
|
| Jenifer Loon (R)* Sondra Erickson (R) Ron Kresha (R) Bob Dettmer (R) Roz Peterson (R) |
651-296-7449 651-296-6746 651-296-4247 651-296-4124 651-296-5387 |
rep.jenifer.loon@house.mn |
* If you can only contact 2 people, call Sen. Wiger and Rep. Loon
** Click here and click on the link next to the Senator’s name.
Details:
OPPOSE: Bathroom surveillance bill
The House Education Policy and Finance bill contains a provision discriminating against transgender students. Trans students regularly face bullying and harassment. State law should support trans youth in schools, not create additional barriers to their success. This policy would ban students from accessing bathrooms of the gender they live every day. Instead, they would be required to use the restroom of the gender they were assigned at birth.
SUPPORT: Funding for safe and supportive schools for all youth
The House Education Policy and Finance bill does NOT include $1 million in funding for the Safe and Supportive Minnesota Schools Act, one of the country's strongest anti-bullying laws. Passed last year, this law established the Safe Schools Technical Assistance Center, which has already provided support to schools around the state seeking resources to address instances of bullying and harassment. To best continue this work, the state should provide the $1 million in base funding for the 2015-16 budget as proposed by the Senate and the Governor.
The legislative session has a few more weeks to go and this fight isn’t over yet. Please make time to email or phone the committee members. If you only have time to contact two people, call Sen. Wiger and Rep. Loon.
Bill Introduced to Remove Barriers to Trans Health Coverage
May 1 - Thank you to Sen. Scott Dibble for introducing Senate File 2141, which would remove barriers in Medicaid and MinnesotaCare so that gender confirmation surgery would be covered for transgender adults. Prescribed medications for transgender youth would also be covered. We also want to express our thanks to the other authors of the bill: Senators Chris Eaton, Kathy Sheran, John Marty and Sandy Pappas. The bill will not move forward this session, but we anticipate building support for it in 2016.
MN Senate Defeats Anti-Trans Bathroom Surveillance Amendment
April 30 - Today, the Minnesota Senate voted against the anti-transgender bathroom surveillance amendment, as of part of their K-12 Education bill, which would require trans students to use the bathroom of the gender assigned at birth rather than the gender they live every day. Thank you to everyone who contacted their senators and demanded that trans youth be treated with dignity and respect.
ACTION ALERT
Saturday, April 25 - This afternoon, we lost in the MN House of Representatives, but there is still time to defeat a Senate amendment, which would deny transgender students the the right to use the bathroom of the gender they live every day.
We anticipate this amendment will be introduced within the next few days as part of the Senate Omnibus bill.
TAKE ACTION RIGHT NOW - CALL OR EMAIL YOUR SENATOR and let them know that transgender students deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. They should not be discriminated against because of who they are.
Legislators need to hear from us NOW because they are receiving hundreds of calls and emails from people who support the Child Protection League and the Minnesota Family Council.
WE NEED YOU TO TAKE ACTION RIGHT NOW!
Friday, April 24 - The House of Representatives just indicated their intention to amend the K-12 Education Bill to include the bathroom surveillance bill, which would deny transgender students the right to use the bathroom of the gender they live every day.
CONTACT YOUR HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE RIGHT NOW and let them know that you oppose Amendment 43 of HF 844.
All students deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. No one should be discriminated against because of who they are.
The bill is scheduled to be voted on TOMORROW (Sat. 4/25) SO CALL RIGHT NOW. And share this with your friends/networks.
Legislators need to hear from us TODAY because they are receiving hundreds of calls and emails from people who support the Child Protection League and the Minnesota Family Council.
What Happened to the Anti-Transgender Bill at the Capitol?
March 19 - Today at the Capitol, Sen. David Brown, the author of the anti-transgender bathroom bill, made a motion to suspend the rules and allow Senate File 1543 to skip the entire committee process, and skip the second and third reading of the bill, and go straight to a vote.
The bill, which would deny transgender youth the ability to live their full authentic identities and still take part in their school's activities and access the facilities (bathrooms and locker rooms) of the gender they live every day, didn't get a vote today. Legislators voted primarily along party lines not to suspend the normal Senate rules.
What does this mean going forward?
Usually, if a bill does not get a committee hearing by the deadline, it has to wait until the following year. But the motion made today by Sen. Brown shows that anti-LGBTQ legislators will do anything, up to and including changing the rules, to advance their extreme agenda.
We must stop their attacks and their attempts to pass discriminatory legislation.
We need you to two things:
1) Contact your legislators TODAY. Call or email them and let them know that:
- All students deserve to be treated fairly and with respect. No one should be discriminated against because of who they are.
- You oppose the anti-transgender bills because they would take away local control from schools that want to be safe, supportive and inclusive.
If you are represented by a DFL Senator, thank him/her for taking a stand in support of trans youth. (The only exception is Sen. Lyle Koenen - District 17 - who voted against his LGBTQ constituents today.)
2) Make a donation to support our work at the Capitol. We believe the opposition will continue to pull out all the stops and do everything they can to pass anti-trans legislation this session. We must double our efforts to stop these attacks!
3) If you identify as transgender, we urge you to tell your story.
Please complete this form and let us know how you want to get involved.
According to a recent Pew poll, only 8% of Americans say they personally know someone who is transgender (from this same poll: 90% of Americans say they personally know someone who is lesbian, gay, or bisexual). You can help change this statistic by sharing your story. We realize this may not be easy for some folks, but we also know how important it is for trans people to make their voices heard.
Anti-Trans Bill Introduced
March 9 – Today, Republicans will introduce an anti-trans bathroom bill, Senate File (SF)1543, / House File (HF) 1546 and 1547 which also includes language to reverse the Minnesota’s State High School League’s policy that allows transgender students to play on teams that match the gender they live every day. OutFront Minnesota strongly opposes this bill, as it would single out trans youth and permanently deny them the ability to take part in their school's activities, and use the facilities, as the gender they live every day. It would take away local control from schools that want to be safe, supportive and inclusive.
We need you to speak out against the bill and contact your legislator NOW.
Most elected officials don't know anyone who is transgender (a person who knows that the sex they were assigned at birth is different than who they know they are on the inside). In fact, according to a recent Pew poll, only 8% of Americans say they personally know someone who is transgender, compared to 90% who say they know someone who is lesbian, gay or bisexual.
Click here to find your state senator. Then call or email him/her and let them know that:
• All students deserve to be treated fairly and with respect. No one should be discriminated against because of who they are.
• I oppose SF 1543 because this bill would take away local control from schools who want to be safe, supportive and inclusive.
• Schools need to be inclusive. We need to let transgender youth know that it is OK to be who they are - to be their authentic selves.
• Every transgender person is someone's child.
We need your support to fund the work we do at the Capitol. Please make a gift today that is meaningful to you so that we can advance equity for all LGBTQ Minnesotans.
Ban on Conversion Therapy
SF1213, HF1620
March 6 - LGBTQ allies in the House and the Senate introduced the "Protection from Conversion Therapy Act" which would ban conversion therapy for youth and vulnerable adults; and would prohibit medical assistance funding for conversion therapy.
Conversion therapy (also known as "ex-gay" or reparative therapy) happens when a therapist or counselor attempts to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Clear evidence shows that conversion therapy doesn't work and is harmful to those who are subjected to it. However, clinics and licensed professionals practice it throughout Minnesota. Bills have been passed in New Jersey and California that ban this practice for minors and Minnesota is trying to be next!
Passing the bill would mean that licensed providers would be prohibited from practicing conversion therapy. It would also send a message of support to LGBTQ youth.
Bill Introduced Would Gut Safe Schools Law
January 16 - Today, a bill was introduced in the Minnesota Senate that would exempt a large number of school districts from having to implement the Safe & Support Minnesota Schools law, which passed last April.
Click here to read the bill (SF221).
An identical bill (HF102) was brought forward in the House two weeks ago. If the bill were to become law, it would allow a district to pay lip service to the concept of bullying prevention while doing nothing to protect kids or build a safe and supportive environment.
Contact your legislators now and let them know that you oppose HF102 and SF 221. Tell your representative and senator that you do NOT want to see the Safe & Supportive Schools law watered down. Even if you know that your legislator is supportive, he or she needs to hear that protecting all students and preventing bullying is an issue that is important to you.
Click here to find contact information for your legislator.
We are monitoring two other bills that were introduced on January 8:
HF 118, titled the “Student Religious Liberties Act,” is primarily a rehashing of rights granted to students by the first amendment and the Equal Access Act. However, one subdivision would change the law so that anywhere a student speaks a district must have a policy creating a limited public forum, which appears to be an attempt to allow prayer in the public schools.
HF 99, would require school districts to obtain prior written informed consent from a parent or guardian of a minor or dependent child before administering any student survey. 2013 was the first year that the Minnesota Student Survey asked students their sexual orientation. We got a wealth of information about school climate, which highlighted the need for better bullying interventions. This bill would make it very expensive and nearly impossible to administer such a survey in the future.