Minnesota as a Caring Community

OUR ACTION IN APRIL:

On April 16th, a grey and blustery Sunday, ISAIAH members from various Northfield congregations gathered at the UCC Church around the topic of “Minnesota as a Caring Community”. More than a dozen NUMC members participated in conversation with Kristi Pursell, our district’s representative to the state legislature. (Our district’s senator, Bill Lieske, had been invited but was not able to attend.)

After a grounding in the faith-based values of ISAIAH, a member of the group told her story of how the lack of paid family and medical leave impacted her family and asked Rep. Pursell how she was working to see that this need would be met. Rep. Pursell then updated us on the status of a state-backed paid family and medical leave insurance program that she supports. By the time you read this article in the Herald, more progress will have been made.

Other stories were shared – one on the need for a MN Care for All option, one on treating our budget as a moral document, and another on the need to reinstate a Citizen Review Board for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. After each story, Rep. Pursell told us about the current status of that proposal and how she is working to make it become reality.

We adjourned after committing to take action by writing letters to the editors, attending forums with legislative leaders, and spreading the word about legislative possibilities.

OUR TASK FOR EARLY MAY:

By mid-May, the legislature is required to complete and pass a comprehensive budget for the next two years. We need to support our legislators as they enact this moral document. Take a few minutes now and phone them, urging them to include the specific proposals that you believe would make life better for all Minnesotans. Rep. Pursell’s phone is 651-296-0171; Sen. Lieske’s phone is 651-296-5019.

Phone them again next week with more encouraging words and after the session ends, thank them for their service.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO JOIN THE NUMC-ISAIAH TEAM:

Contact Evelyn Burry, the team leader at 507-645-7481, or email her at evelynburry@hotmail.com