MAP Advocate Vol. 7 No. 10

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MAP Advocate

AIDS Advocacy Update
Volume 7, Number 10
May 29, 2001

In This Issue:
Take Action: Wait and See
Budget Deal Reached; Funding Issues Still Up In the Air
Legislative Issues Remain Unresolved
Hennepin County Court Rules Sodomy Ban Unconstitutional

Take Action! Wait & See

The unusual ending of this legislative session has left us waiting to see final outcomes of funding proposals. It is unknown at this time when the Special Session will be called, but it is anticipated prior to June 11th. Check MAP's website at www.mnaidsproject.org
for up-to-date legislative information.

Budget Deal Reached; Funding Issues Still Up in the Air

After adjourning on May 21 without decisions on major spending bills, the Legislature and Governor have reached agreement, paving the way for a special session. The unofficial conference committees will return to work after Memorial Day to work out the details of the spending bills. Without details of the budget agreement, it is unclear what proposals will be funded. However, MAP is concerned with the Governor and House Leadership's insistence on major tax cuts. Spending for K-12 and Health and Human Services may be much less than the Senate had proposed.

Legislative Issues Remain Unresolved

**K-12 HIV Regional Sites At stake is funding for the 5 HIV K-12 Regional Training Sites in Brainerd, Hopkins, Grand Rapids, Park Rapids, & Winona. Funding for the sites is in the Senate proposal, but could be in jeopardy because the tax and spending caps proposed by the Governor and House leaders may be too low.

**STI Prevention: It is doubtful that new funding of $800,000 proposed by the Senate will happen this year.

**HIV/AIDS Budget Cuts: Still outstanding is whether the Health and Human Services budget will restore the cuts to HIV/AIDS grants as proposed in the Governor's budget.

**Onerous Outcome Measures for AIDS Prevention Contracts: MAP continues to oppose requirements that AIDS Prevention Grantees track the number of sex partners people have. MAP opposes the restriction on the grounds the data is neither relevant or useful.

**Domestic Partner Benefits: The Senate reversed its original position prohibiting the Ventura Administration from offering health insurance benefits to same-sex domestic partners of state employees. The House rejected the measure, keeping it alive in conference committee.

**Funding for Workplace Education: Also at stake in the budget impasse is the $175,000 one-time funding for HIV/AIDS workplace education to prevent discrimination. This proposal is part of the Senate's proposal in the Omnibus Jobs Bill.

Hennepin County Court Rules Sodomy Ban Unconstitutional

The first step to striking down Minnesota's sodomy law was taken last week in Hennepin County District Court. State District Court Judge Delila F. Pierce declared the law to be a violation of privacy "as applied to private, consensual, acts of sodomy by consenting adults." The ACLU argued the case and is asking the court to make the case a class-action suit, which will make the decision applicable statewide. Minnesota's sodomy law, which prohibits anal and oral sex between any adults, has been used as an excuse to marginalize and discriminate against the GLBT community.

Last Updated: Friday, March 30, 2007
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