Today, Sunday, May 12, legislative leaders and the governor announced they that reached a budget deal. Included in the deal is what looks to be about $100 million more going to the overall Health and Human Services budget than the legislators were working with before.

Remember, we spent the last few of weeks asking leadership to increase the HHS targets – with some success, as today’s deal shows. Thank you!

Now we need make sure they use that money for the first welfare grant increase in 27 years.

So please contact the conference committee members again, this time with the message:

“Now that the HHS budget target has been increased, I am calling on you to use that money to increase the MFIP grants for poor families. The grants have not gone up in 27 years. Over 70,000 kids are living in extreme poverty because of the low welfare grants. Use the general fund money to start paying back TANF money that has been stolen over the years. Please increase the grants this year.”

Rep. Jim Abeler, rep.jim.abeler@house.mn 651-296-1729

Rep. Tina Liebling, rep.tina.liebling@house.mn 651-296-0573

Rep. Rena Moran, rep.rena.moran@house.mn 651-296-5158

Rep. Thomas Huntley, rep.thomas.huntley@house.mn 651-296-2228

Rep. Diane Loeffler, rep.diane.loeffler@house.mn 651-296-4219

Sen. Melisa Franzen, sen.melisa.franzen@senate.mn 651-296-6238

Sen. Tony Lourey, sen.tony.lourey@senate.mn 651-296-0293

Sen. Melissa Wiklund, sen.melissa.wiklund@senate.mn 651-297-8061

Sen. Jeff Hayden, sen.jeff.hayden@senate.mn 651-296-4261

Sen. Kathy Sheran, sen.kathy.sheran@senate.mn 651-296-6153