1. Healthcare

The Voter
News for LWV Minneapolis Members and Friends
Volume 73, Issue 1
FEBRUARY 2015
February Topic
Our Children's Future: Advancing Health and Racial Equity
Last year, LWVMpls helped organize the forum, Interrupting the Prison Pipeline, to educate citizens
about its many positions on justice, equity, fairness
and good government. LWV members also worked
to pass a voter restoration bill in the state legislature,
which did not progress past the committee level.
Many groups such as Take Action Minnesota, Neighborhoods Organizing for Change, ISAIAH and
LWVMN were inspired to continue working to pass
the bill during the 2015 legislative session.
This year's forum topic builds on last year’s coalition
and acknowledges the pre-cradle to kindergarten
health and educational goals set by Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges. The forum’s goal is to educate
attendees about racial disparities in our health care
and education systems as well as environmental
toxins affecting healthy outcomes for children. Research shows that children who attend preschool
experience higher earnings, improved employability
and less crime compared to those who did not. Exposure to toxins in the womb and the environment
may cause autism, learning disabilities and more.
At the forum, Mayor Hodges will speak about her
recommendations for the city and state legislature
to address the importance of early childhood
education. She supports more resources to provide
quality child care for low income children. The 2015
state legislature, led by a Republican majority in the
House, does not include a committee on early
childhood. There is a call for action not only from
Minneapolis but throughout the state to pressure the
House of Representatives to provide more funding
for early childhood education and quality health care,
leading to healthier babies and successful learners.
Governor Mark Dayton has made this one of his
priorities.
LWVMpls, in partnership with past mayors, has had
a great influence on city government. Remember
Mayor Fraser's Success by Six, Way to Grow, attention to teen pregnancy, school programs for teen
Our Children’s Future: Advancing
Health and Racial Equity
Pre-cradle to kindergarten access to
health care promotes healthy learners
February 12, 2015, 5:30 – 9 PM
5:30: Networking, visit co-sponsors, light meal
7:00: Program; speakers include Mayor Betsy
Hodges, Rose Brewer, Jeanne Ayers, Kathleen Schuler, Stephani Belseth, Sharon Day
Location: American Indian Center, 1530 E
Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis
mothers and their children, and mini-clinics in all our
high schools? We cannot stop advocating for all
Minneapolis citizens, especially regarding racial equity. One co-sponsor of this year’s forum is ISAIAH
Minnesota, a faith-based organization composed of
100 faith communities that advocates for racial equity, health care reform and immigration reform.
Last February, the Minnesota Department of Health
(MDH) prepared a report, Advancing Health Equity
in Minnesota. The report addresses several issues
related to inequity in our health care system: race
and racism, organizational and professional "silos"
and fragmentation, cultural and linguistic competence, community leadership and shared decisionmaking, and barriers to a diverse workforce.
Continued on page 3
Inside this Issue
President’s Message, Sustainability
2
Membership Committee Report
3
Important Dates
4
PAGE 2
T H E V O TE R
From the President
Karlynn Fronek, Co-president
As we entered the new year, activity revved up in LWVMpls. First,
the February forum planning was
in full swing with plans to educate
the community about early childhood and corresponding inequities as they relate to learning and
health. Then, the LWVMpls board discussed some
voter service initiatives as it looks to reignite a
flame for citizens to vote in 2016. (Minneapolis
posted a 55.55 percent turnout in 2014 – lower
than hoped. Pundits claimed a variety of reasons,
including lack of hotly contested races.) Lastly,
program planning time rolled around and the group
that gathered in January considered a variety of
interest areas as we look to our 2015-16 fiscal
year.
The issues that came to the forefront during program planning were parks, voter service, municipal
governance and reconnecting with elected officials. With a parks committee working to ascertain
the interrelationships of government agencies and
others, some members suggested that we continue to pursue activities and actions on our local
parks system. Others suggested we meet with our
park board as well as the Minneapolis City Council
in some informal settings. Voter service training,
including how to set up voter registration, surfaced
as a potential project to determine how we can
FEBRUARY 2015
LWV is where hands-on work to safeguard
democracy leads to civic improvement.
best work with a variety of groups. Also discussed
were activities to promote public awareness with
respect to sex trafficking and the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). Another topic for
some possible investigation is a trend for municipalities to enact laws when they don’t see state or
the federal legislatures doing so. Overall, our
members began to think about what matters to
them and their community and to think about how
LWVMpls can make an impact.
On a related note about improving communities,
an article in the Star Tribune reported that a former
member of the LWVMpls Board of Advisors, Zainab Hassan, has returned to Somalia to better her
former homeland. She is tasked with rebuilding the
national library in Mogadishu. According to Zainab,
conditions in that country seem to be improving.
As we march forward . . . into March, LWV members will be active at the legislature, connecting
with city hall and other key community groups. If
you, too, want to become active, call the LWVMpls
office for more information.
LWVMpls units meet in member homes or
public places for lively discussions
of current LWV issues. Members and guests
are welcome at any unit. Call the LWVMpls
office at 612.333.6319 for more details.
LWVMpls Sustainability Project Continues
It’s easy and SO helpful.
It’s midyear for LWVMpls but we’ve all just finished calendar year 2014. End-of-the-year at our house
means my husband and I sit down, checkbook in hand, and complete our annual giving. Every year, LWV
(national, state and Minneapolis) is on our list. We both believe we need to do all we can to make sure our
democracy stays strong, and LWV has been out there for nearly 100 years “fighting the good fight”!
Year-end giving is great, but it would be ever so helpful if we gave monthly so LWVMpls could plan and
budget more precisely. This year, my husband and I have committed to sustained giving by going to the
website lwvmpls.org, clicking on Donate and LWVMpls Online Donation, and then checking the “I would
like my donation to recur” box. I ask you to do the same. It’s easy, it’s effective and LWVMpls will be
stronger for your commitment. Please think on it, and then take action!
Thank you for your ongoing support.
~ Julaine Heit
FEBRUARY 2015
T H E V O TE R
PAGE 3
Membership Committee Report
In January, I met with the Nominations Committee
regarding LWVMpls board appointments and committee membership slots to be filled. We have an
exciting list of new leaders who are deciding right
now whether to join the board or stay on it. We are
also looking for experienced members to help
those of us who are new to our positions. If you
are interested in being a mentor and/or joining the
newly formed Membership Committee, please contact Amy at [email protected] or Gail at the
LWVMpls office.
I have recently completed research about LWV
membership for my graduate program, and I discovered some thought-provoking ideas that I
would like to share with LWVMpls members. Here
are just a few thoughts for all us to consider when
recruiting new members:
 Use different levels of Internet engagement
such as online forums, email, website,
YouTube, Facebook. However, these can
never replace real life conversations.
 Be proactive (invite) around engagement and
recruitment with diverse populations. Pro-
spective members will not come to you. Also,
recruit people who are connected to other networks to recruit for you.
 Bring people with different views and share
ALL experiences (age, gender, class).
 Create specific spaces for young people as a
way to build confidence and leadership skills.
 Allow for different level of engagement: volunteer, leadership, donor, viewer.
 Offer skills training and emphasize what you
already offer: understanding budgets, board
structures and civic education.
 A new member’s time is limited, and opportunities to volunteer elsewhere have increased.
Millennials especially will put in the work – but
they need to see more immediate action.
And, as always, please remember to check with the
office to make sure your membership is current so
that we can continue to do great work for Minneapolis residents.
~ Amy Baker
Continued from page 1
Jean Ayers, MDH Assistant Commissioner, was
the chief author of the report. Ayers came from
ISAIAH Minnesota. Also produced was a Health
Disparities Shadow Report, which addressed the
major health needs of separate communities of
color – African American, Hispanic, Asian, East
African, Native American. Dr. Rose Brewer, University of Minnesota African American Studies,
chaired the Health Disparities Shadow Report and
she, along with Ayers, will speak at the February
12 forum.
LWVMpls is reaching out to communities of color and
encouraging parents of young children to come to the
forum, where they can connect with representatives
from early childhood programs in their cultures (such
as Alliance of Early Childhood Professionals’ Wicoie
Nandagikendan Program). Fahrio Khalif, Director from
Voices of East African Women, will talk about the high
incidence of children with disabilities such as autism in
the Somali community. The mothers of disabled
children often experience isolation and could benefit
from outside help to care for their children.
In August 2014, Mayors Hodges and Coleman cohosted a forum entitled Convening on Racial Equity. One of the subtopics of the forum was Environmental Justice, Creating and Protecting a Healthy
Environment for All. Studies show that race and
income are defining indicators of the disproportionate pollution contributing to environmental health
disparities in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The third
part of the February 12 forum will address environmental toxic chemicals. Unfortunately, the Toxic
Free Kids Act was defeated in the final hours of the
last legislative session.
LWVMpls is fortunate to have new partnerships for this
forum. Ray Lewis with the Minnesota Public Health
Association has provided connections with both local
and national public health research organizations.
LaTasha Reed represents her African American
sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and helped
shape this forum.
Go to LWVMpls.org for links to related documents, reports and a discussion guide for March unit meetings.
~ Kay Kessel
League of Women Voters Minneapolis
2801 21st Ave. S., Suite 250
Minneapolis, MN 55407
Phone: 612.333.6319
Email: [email protected]
Website www.lwvmpls.org
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MISSION
The League of Women Voters,
a nonpartisan political organization,
encourages informed and active
participation in government, works to
increase understanding of major policy
issues, and influences public policy through
education and advocacy.
Pam Telleen, Karlynn Fronek, Co-presidents
We’re on the Web!
www.lwvmpls.org
LWVMpls Board of Directors
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Pam Telleen, Co-president
Karlynn Fronek, Co-president
Anna Johnson, Secretary
Sarah Schaefer, Secretary
Jeanne André, Treasurer
Julie Wethington, Treasurer-elect
Ruby Hocker, Past Co-president
Mary Juhl, Communications
Amy Baker, Membership
Trisha Harms, Membership
Kara Skahen, Mission & Governance
Kate Donahue, Program
Alice Moormann, Volunteer Coordinator
Marilyn Dean, VOTER Assignment Editor
Willow Kreibich, Voter Services
Lisa Wagor, Voter Services
Rosemary Lawrence, Voter Services–
Election Night Services
Important Dates
Monday, February 2
Deadline for March Voter
Submissions
Thursday, February 12
5:30—9 PM
Healthy Legacy Forum
American Indian Center
1530 E. Franklin Ave.
Saturday, March 21
10 AM—CMAL Program
Housing Policy Plan
Brookdale Library
6125 Shingle Creek
Pkwy., Brooklyn Center
Wednesday, February 18
6 PM
LWVMpls Board Meeting
2801 21st Ave. S., #250
LWVMpls Hours:
Monday–Friday,
11 AM to 3 PM