MAP Advocate Vol. 7 No. 8

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MAP Advocate

AIDS Advocacy Update
Vol. 7 No. 8
May 1, 2001

In This Issue:

Take Action! Crunch Time Calls
Senate Proposes HIV & STI Prevention Funding
Assaults on HIV and Sexual Health Ed & Services in the House
Domestic Partner Benefits Blocked
Health Disparities Initiative Advances
Thanks to Youth Advocates

Take Action! Crunch Time Calls

The time is here. Conference committees start meeting the week of May 7. Final decisions about HIV and STI prevention funding and policies are going to be made. Your phone calls will determine the outcome!

Can you set aside one hour during the coming week to call legislators and the Governor?
* Call MAP's Conference Committee Hotline ***612-373-9168
We have the names and phone numbers of those who need to get your call.

* Visit MAP's Web Site
We have up-to-the-minute information on conference committee action, plus phone numbers and e-mails for those who need to be contacted.
www.mnaidsproject.org

* Organize!
Ask a friend, a family member or a co-worker to make a call or send an e-mail.

Senate Proposes HIV & STI Prevention Funding

Senate bills emerged from budget committees with proposals for new money. They also restore funding cut by the Ventura administration from HIV prevention programs. The Senate health bill proposes $400K in new, annual funding for STI prevention and prohibits the Department of Health from cutting HIV prevention dollars. The Senate's K-12 education bill restores dollars for the five Greater MN school districts serving as regional HIV/STI curriculum training sites. A new program to increase HIV awareness and education in Minnesota workplaces has dollars in the Senate's bill to fund state agencies. It'll take phone calls to lawmakers and the Governor's office to keep these budget proposals in tact .

Assaults on HIV and Sexual Health Ed & Services in the House

HIV prevention grant programs would be held to unrealistic, onerous reporting standards if provisions in the House's health funding bill are ultimately approved. Family planning clinics would loose money and probably have to curtail their HIV and STI screening services. $20M slated for teen pregnancy prevention would be virtually wasted on unproven abstinence-only-until-marriage services. Other attacks, such as one preventing HIV grants for prevention programs at the University of Minnesota, are lurking in the process and still may be added to bills before the session is out.

Domestic Partner Benefits Blocked

The Senate approved a provision preventing the Ventura Administration from considering a request from labor negotiators to include domestic partner benefits in state government employee contract agreements. At the time of this writing, MAP is working with other advocates to reverse the Senate's action. The 37-29 vote in support of the prohibitive amendment, matched with overwhelming opposition in the House to HIV and STI prevention, comprehensive sexual health education and related issues can be read as tangible signs that Minnesota's reputation as a home for progressive policies is threatened.

Health Disparities Initiative Advances

The House and Senate are actively considering proposals to provide "block grants" to local public health agencies and community based groups to address a wide range of health problems affecting communities of color. Both proposals would allow the funds to be used for HIV and STI prevention, if local communities saw these to be among their health risk priorities.

Thanks to Youth Advocates

Thanks to the 45 peer educators who came to the Capitol on April 30 Monday to ask legislators to "stop playing politics with their health." The youth advocates are part of Sexuality Education for Life. They oppose efforts to restrict access to sexual health information and services for young people.

Last Updated: Friday, March 30, 2007
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