Let Your Voice Be Heard
By Senator Sheila Kiscaden
From the outside, the
Minnesota State Capitol can look peaceful and serene, but inside during
the winter months when the legislature meets, it is more like a beehive of
activity. It can seem like every issue and interest group has a presence
at the Capitol in one way or another.
Businesses, special interests,
cities, counties and townships, industry groups, and many others hire
lobbyists (sometimes teams of lobbyists) to represent their interests.
They make the investment because they know that in the Legislature "the
squeaky wheel gets oiled." Communicating with legislators, making your
case, and monitoring our proposals, makes a big difference in our
decisions.
However, you may be surprised
to learn that the best lobbyists aren't even paid. The most effective
lobbyists are people like you who care about an issue and communicate
their views to their elected officials.
Are you there advocating for
children and families? You can and should.
You don't even have to leave
home. All it takes is a phone call, an e-mail or a letter. If you are
willing to invest more time, attend a town hall meeting or make an
appointment to meet face-to-face. Believe me, those calls, e-mails,
letters and meetings do make a difference!
Last year the Minnesota
Legislature faced a daunting task: set a two-year balanced budget despite
a $4.5 billion deficit. There was general agreement that K-12 education
should be protected from budget reductions. Since we spend 40% of the
state's budget on K-12 education, that meant the Legislature had to make
bigger cuts in other areas of the budget, especially health and human
services.
Every year the Legislature
always makes decisions that affect Minnesota families, but last year there
was a lot at stake for Minnesota families. To my surprise, there were far
fewer people contacting us regarding these issues. That concerns me.
Typically, the advocates for
the support and care for children and families are not at the top of the
list when it comes to a lobbying presence at the Legislature. That means
that you as a citizen are even more important.
Here's an example. The
Governor's budget recommended eliminating state funding for the Retired
Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and the Foster Grandparent Program. Well,
those volunteers got busy and wrote to their legislators. And even in
central Minnesota, a few of them showed up at various town hall meetings.
Freshmen legislators returned to the Capitol from these meetings asking,
"What is the RSVP program? My constituents are upset that it is being
cut." The result? Because of the actions of a few people, state funding
for the programs was continued.
Another example. Why is it
that we have a strong service network for children with developmental
disabilities but not for other children with mental illness or other
problems? For years, ARC Minnesota (formerly known as the Association for
Retarded Citizens) has organized and brought parents and those with
developmental disabilities to the Capitol and to County Boards. The
persistent advocacy by these citizens has, over the years, built the
system of public supports that many other groups envy.
We live in a state that has
been known for providing exceptional services to its citizens. That came
about because Minnesotans, like ARC, asked for those services and support.
Now our budget problems puts that service system in jeopardy. We have
entered a period when our budget is not keeping up with the costs of that
very service system. Costs are continuing to rise rapidly; there are more
elderly, disabled and others who qualify for services; and our state
revenues have not increased to meet that demand.
The Legislature will continue
to be faced with difficult choices. Your voice, your insights, your views
will influence what choices we make. There are always those with a
presence at the Capitol and at the County Board; those who make their
voice and views heard. Children's voices and the voices of the vulnerable
are not heard unless someone speaks for them.
You can be that voice. You can
make a difference. And you don't even have to leave home to do it! Let
your voice be heard. We will listen.
Senator Kiscaden may be
contacted with your comments and questions at 651-296-4848 , via e-mail at
sen.sheila.kiscaden@senate.mn
or by mail at State Office Building, Room 15, 100 Martin Luther King
Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.
