A Conversation with Keith Ellison and the Disability Community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Matt Roznowski (matt@keithellison.org or 414-839-2560)

Rep. Keith Ellison & ADAPT MN Co-Hosting
Disability Community Conversation



Event will focus on empowerment, inclusion, and voter turnout among people with disabilities

What:

Rep. Keith Ellison and ADAPT Minnesota are bringing the disability community together for a conversation about issues that have a big impact on people with disabilities, such as the voter restriction amendment, PCA funding, and the Community Choice Act.

The conversation will also focus on voting among people with disabilities will empower the community and lead to greater inclusion.

ADAPT MN will be giving Rep. Ellison the 2nd Annual Free Our People Award for his commitment to reaching out and working with people with disabilities to solve problems.

ADAPT Minnesota is a chapter of the national ADAPT. ADAPT is a grass-roots community that organizes disability rights activists to engage in non-violent direct action, including civil disobedience, to assure the civil and human rights of people with disabilities to live in freedom.

Who:

Congressman Keith Ellison (MN-05)

Chris Bell, Attorney [Panelist]

Debra Burke, Executive Director and Founder, Break Thru Home Care [Panelist]

John Tschida, Vice President, Public Affairs and Research, Courage Center [Panelist]

ADAPT MINNESOTA LEADERSHIP TEAM:
Galen Smith
Jay Wilson
Jim Carlisle
Claudia Carlisle
Becky Francin
Darrell Paulsen
Nichole Villavicencio


When:

Tuesday, October 23 from 6:00 – 7:30pm

Where:

Courage Center Atrium
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422

--
Matt Roznowski
Communications Director
Re-Elect Keith Ellison for U.S. Congress
Office: (612) 522-4416
matt@keithellison.org

Join Us {ADAPT MN} for a Disability Community Conversation!!

Join Keith Ellison and ADAPT for a Disability Community Conversation

Tuesday, October 23
6:00 - 7:30pm
Courage Center
3915 Golden Valley Road
Golden Valley, MN 55422


Our panel of experts will talk about issues that have a big impact on the disability community, such as the voter restriction amendment, PCA funding, and the Community Choice Act.

Governor Dayton's Response to Free Our People Award

[A PDF containing an image of the letter is available at http://bit.ly/iFZe2J ]

[Printed on letterhead reserved for the State of Minnesota's Office of Governor Mark Dayton.]

June 21, 2011

Dear members of ADAPT Minnesota:

Thank you for inviting me to attend ADAPT Minnesota's First Annual Free Our People Award Ceremony.  It is truly an honor to be recognized by your organization and Minnesotans with disabilities.  I am sorry I am not able to join you today.

On May 24, 2011, I vetoed the Legislature's Health and Human Services budget bill, which proposed severely damaging cuts to the services needed by many Minnesotans with disabilities.  When I vetoed that bill, I sent a letter explaining my reasons and in that letter I wrote:

This Health and Human Services bill, passed by the House and Senate, would cause devastating harm to many thousands of Minnesotans, which I will strongly oppose.  I cannot support a $1.8 billion reduction in health and human service spending.  A reduction of this size jeopardizes the progress Minnesota has made in providing health coverage for the uninsured, supporting our seniors in their communities, offering treatment and community support for people with mental illness, and establishing a public health infrastructure that protects all Minnesotans.  I understand the need for belt-tightening and I embrace the need for reform.  But I do not accept that Minnesota must go backward in the support we provide to our most vulnerable citizens.  We are better than that.

The state budget is about values and priorities as much as it is about dollars and cents.  It remains my priority to protect the most vulnerable Minnesotans from devastating cuts to the services they rely on for day-to-day living.

Once again, thank you for your invitation to today's ceremony, and thank you for your continued efforts to build a better Minnesota for ALL Minnesotans.

My best regards.

Sincerely,
Mark Dayton
Governor

Press Release: Free Our People Award to Governor Mark Dayton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (UPDATED 2011-06-25 1:13 AM CDT)

ADAPT MN Presents Free Our People Award to Governor Mark Dayton

SAINT PAUL, Minnesota (June 23, 2011) -- ADAPT Minnesota presented its first Free Our People Award to Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton during a short ceremony at the Governor's office during the afternoon of Thursday, June 23.  Around 50 individuals, families, and allies were present; many wearing their standard red shirts to show their support for the civil and human rights of people with disabilities to live in freedom.

After a few brief presentations, including the sharing of Jim Carlisle's personal story and Claudia Carlisle's personal story, ADAPT Minnesota thanked Governor Dayton for vetoing several finance bills that would have created significant harm throughout Minnesota.  Plus, ADAPT expressed support for him to continue standing firm for a fair budget that isn't balanced on the backs of individuals and families experiencing disability.   

Although the Governor was unable to attend, Dan Pollock, Dayton's Policy Advisor, shared a letter from Governor Dayton.  Then, the group presented the Governor with a few tokens of appreciation, including a standard red ADAPT t-shirt displaying an individual in a wheelchair breaking free of shackles and chains with the logo "Free Our People".

As Darrell Paulsen pointed out, "Throughout the legislative session, Governor Dayton stood up for us.  Another great example of his understanding and fight for civil rights happened earlier this week when he expanded the list of critical services from the one he had submitted to the court earlier.  He expanded the list to be sure that the organizations we rely on for personal care assistance, homecare, transportation to our medical appointments, and so on would get the payments they need to pay their employees so they can continue delivering the services we depend on."  Paulsen is a disability rights advocate and nonprofit executive who experiences the effects of cerebral palsy.  He relies on personal care assistance, public transportation, and special transportation to help him ensure that his health, safety, security, and dignity needs are consistently and reliably satisfied.

ADAPT Minnesota is statewide chapter of a national grass-roots community that organizes disability rights activists to engage in nonviolent direct action, that may or may not include civil disobedience, to assure the civil and human rights of people with disabilities to live in freedom; equal opportunities for equal participation in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

QUESTIONS AND PRESS INQUIRIES:

     Please e-mail adapt.mn@gmail.com

Award Text: Free Our People Award to Governor Mark Dayton

ADAPT MN presents the Free Our People Award to Governor Mark Dayton

Governor Dayton has shown his commitment to supporting freedom and independence of people with disabilities by:

• Vetoing the GOP Omnibus Health and Human Services finance bill, Transportation finance bill, and Jobs and Economic Development appropriations bill, remembering that Real Cuts Hurt Real People; and,
• Recognizing that enabling people with disabilities to live in our own homes in our own communities costs less than institutionalization and improves our dignity, health and safety.

Governor Dayton is a leader that the disability community can count on to:

• Include People with Disabilities in any decisions that affect our lives;
• Raise revenue to fund vital services by ensuring that the most wealthy Minnesotans are paying their fair share; and, 
• Ensure that people with disabilities receive people-centered supports to free us from unnecessary, costly, inherently demeaning, frequently understaffed and sometimes abusive institutions and nursing homes.