The OSJ Organizer's Weblog

Housing Action Team Meeting Reminder!

osjorganizer — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:51:07 +0000

Hi Everyone!

Just a quick reminder that the Office for Social Justice’s Housing Action Team will be meeting this week on Thursday, May 1st. I hope I can see you there!

WHO: All Housing Action Team Members

WHAT: The May Housing Action Team meeting!

WHERE: Office for Social Justice- Hayden Center

328 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55104

Click here for a map

WHEN: Thursday, May 1st, from 7:00 to 8:30 PM

WHY: Get an update on what’s going on at the Capitol and prepare to celebrate some legislative victories!

Please RSVP by responding to this email, sending a note to robinsona@archspm.org, or calling 651-291-4536. I need to know how many snacks to bring!

Of course, you should feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments. I’m excited to see you on May 1st! Hope you can join us!

-Adam

Adam Robinson

Public Policy Organizer

Office for Social Justice

robinsona@archspm.org

651-291-4536

Health care debate in the media

osjorganizer — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:29:20 +0000

Over the past few days, the debate that’s circling around the Capitol about health care reform started to spill out into the media.

MinnPost ran a great primer article on the kerfuffle (yep, it’s a word) between Sen. Linda Berglin, who worked with the Legislative Coalition on Health Care Access and the Governor’s Transportation Task Force to create a piece of legislation that, well, makes some steps toward reforming health care, and Governor Pawlenty…

Wait, Governor Pawlenty is arguing with legislation that was, in part, crafted by his own Transformation Task Force?

Yep.

In part, the kerfuffle is around the use of the Health Care Access Fund (HCAF), a 2% tax on health care providers that funds MinnesotaCare and other health care programs. See, the Governor wants to use money from the HCAF to help solve the budget deficit. The House and Senate are keeping their hands off the HCAF. For now.

In other news- my friend Maria Wiering at The Catholic Spirit ran a post on her “Catholic Eye on the Capitol” blog that discusses health care reform. She’s wondering “what role, if any, should the government play in affordable health care?” Why don’t you send her a note via her blog and let her know?

Conference committee on health care reform bill changed

osjorganizer — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:11:45 +0000

Hello, everyone!

Looks like there’s going to be a conference committee on the health care reform bill after all.

I just got this note from the nice folks at the legislature:

MONDAY, April 21, 2008

*** Note: *** Change in meeting time
No Time Available check time note
Meeting Time Note: 30 minutes after the last body adjourns Joint Committee: Health Care Reform Conference Committee
Room: 107 State Capitol
Chairs: Rep. Thomas Huntley, Sen. Linda Berglin
Agenda: HF3391 (Huntley/Berglin) Health care reform