2011 Update on the Legislature by Executive Director, Scott Beaty

Wow! What two years will do in the ever-changing political world! Not only has the

Federal political landscape changed but so has Minnesota’s!

Minnesota is facing a $6.2 billion deficit, and after many years of budget deficits there is no low hanging fruit. This means cuts to government supported programs will be deep and sharp even if the Governor and Legislature can come to some agreement on raising revenues. In order to keep the Youth Intervention Program and other youth programming from being severely reduced or eliminated we all have our work cut out for us. It is critical that we educate legislators about the proven benefits of early intervention programs.

The first thing I want all of you to know is that this is probably going to be the toughest legislative session we will have since former Governor Ventura tried to eliminate the Youth Intervention Program. The YIPA membership fought hard and strong that session and we were able to save the program but with a reduction in funding. Since that time we have been able to increase the funding only to have it reduced the next biennium because of deficits within the State budget. I can’t stress enough how important it is going to be for the YIPA membership to contact their legislators (email works but a personal phone call or face to face meeting is better) and ask them to support the Youth Intervention Program by ensuring that the current base funding of $1.6 million per year be maintained. Remember, the Youth Intervention Program Social Return on Investment (SROI) is our best ally and every legislator you meet with should get a copy of this report with you highlighting the cost savings the research has found. We will soon be getting the YIP outcome data from the Office of Justice Program within Public Safety and this too can be a tool you can and should use to show legislators that not only does the YIP save money but it has measurable results. If you are unsure who are your State legislators, click here.

Another important action I hope everyone reading this takes is to plan to attend the Rally for Youth Day at the Capitol on Thursday, March 3. This is the time for you and your constituents (your youth) to be in St. Paul talking with your legislators about the importance of the youth intervention program in your community. The Youth Rally Day is sponsored by the Youth Policy Alliance. Click here for an application to participate in this event. If you have taken part in the rally in the past, you will notice a couple changes that have been made for the 2011 rally. The first major change is that participants will not be meeting at the Kelly Inn for pre-rally training; instead, rally preparations will be communicated to adult leaders through live webinar and it is the responsibility of those leaders to disseminate this information to their youth. Applicant deadline to participate in the rally is January 21. Even if you cannot bring a group of youth to the event, I hope you will attend the noon rally and plan to meet with your legislators.

Remember, the world is run by those who show up!