Rate Increases Possible
We are entering the final days of the 2024 Minnesota Legislative Session and we wanted to provide membership with the current status of legislative language important to the Minnesota Association for Marriage & Family Therapy. While the State of Minnesota has a current budget surplus of $3.7B, fears of future projected deficits have severely limited the amount of funds being made available for a potential supplemental budget. Of the available $3.7B, about $500M is targeted for a supplemental budget for the State of Minnesota.
The State of Minnesota works on a two year budget cycle with a full $59.1B State Budget being passed last session Therefore, the Legislature has the ability, but not the obligation to pass a supplemental budget. This has all culminated in many MAMFT and Mental Health Legislative Network priorities being pushed to the next budget cycle.
A further complicating factor is that Senator Nicole Mitchell (DFL-Woodbury) was arrested April 22nd on charges of first degree burglary. This is important because the Democrat Majority is only one vote, 34-33. Senator Michell is that 34th vote meaning she is the deciding vote on all legislation and funding. This fact has made all of the funding bills become more controversial and procedurally more difficult. The likely end result will be slimmed down packages containing mostly agreed upon language.
However, the DHS Rate Study Increases are currently included in the Health and Human Services bill in the Senate. We encourage you all to reach out to your legislator (you can find who that is here) and encourage passage of the rate increases for mental health and substance abuse providers.
Here is a draft paragraph on what you might want to send to your legislator. Any personalization you can do to this statement will be important and appreciated:
"Dear Insert Elected Officials name here,
I am a constituent, I live at insert address here. I am urging you to take action and help pass the rate increases for mental health and substance abuse providers contained in the Senate Health and Human Services Finance Omnibus Bill. We are in a mental health crisis and need all the support we can get to provide service and help people across the State of Minnesota. These rate increases would help keep people in the profession and attract people to the profession to provide more services.
{Insert what you do and why it matters.}
