2016 Legislative Priorities

CHUMs Vision: CHUM is people of faith working together to provide basic necessities, foster
stable lives, and organize for a just and compassionate community .

Supporting those moving from Homeless to Housed:

Homes for All Campaign: CHUM supports the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless Homes for
All Campaign that asks for increases for housing and homeless services. This increase will make
it possible to develop affordable housing units and provide services to potential and current
residents. Housing and services give people the best chance at being successful in retaining
stability in their lives. (We dont have exact targeted funding ask from MCH yet.)

Protect the stability of those moving out of poverty:

Prosperity for all Campaign: CHUM supports the Prosperity for All Campaign that will include
$100 month increase to per recipient of Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) support,
which would be the first increase in these funds since 1984.

Child Care Assistance for More Families :

CHUM supports the Joint Religious Legislative

Coalition (JRLC) and Minnesota Asset Building Coalitions (MABC) proposal for increased funding
for the Child Care Assistance Program to support working parents and to provide greater
employment options for families. About 6,000 eligible Minnesota families are on waiting lists to
receive child care assistance because the states appropriation is capped and insufficient.

Earned Sick & Safe Time: CHUM supports Take Action Minnesota in guaranteeing that all
Minnesotans have access to paid sick days from their employers. Southern Saint Louis
County has the highest percentage of workers in all of Minnesota that lack access to paid
sick time (50% of workers do NOT have paid time off).
Healthcare Reform: CHUM supports MABC and TAMN in healthcare reform efforts to: (1) Provide
an option for affordable, high-quality coverage for more working families by restoring
MinnesotaCare eligibility. (2) Protect high-quality, affordable coverage by retaining the provider
tax. (3) Restore affordable premiums and cost-sharing for MinnesotaCare. (4) Increase spenddown standards and asset limits for MA recipients to allow for savings for long-term financial
security.

Reducing disparities in low-income communities and communities of

color:
Restoration of Voting Rights: CHUM supports the efforts by JRLC to restore voting rights for
persons with felony convictions upon return to the community rather than after completion of
probation and parole.
Human Trafficking Victims Services: CHUM supports the efforts by JRLC to ask for funding for
services that address the needs of trafficking victims including case management, housing,

health care, language interpretation, and legal services. Especially needed are safe housing
opportunities to ensure the safety and recovery of victims.
Sentencing Reform: CHUM supports the work of Voices for Racial Justice and Take Action
Minnesota in advocating for continued sentencing reform within our criminal justice system,
specifically the reduction sentences for or elimination of mandatory minimum sentencing for
small drug offenses. (We do not have the exact targeted ask yet from VRJ/TAMN.)