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State Representative John Ward
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4333
For more information contact: Ted Modrich 651-296-5809
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REP. WARD, HOUSE DFL ASKS IF GOP HAS ‘COURAGE TO COMPROMISE’
(ST. PAUL) — Today Rep. John Ward (DFL – Brainerd) and members of the House DFL Caucus held an event to ask Republicans in the House to have the “courage to compromise." DFL members heard from Minnesotans affected by the shutdown and who would be even more negatively affected by the GOP all-cuts budget.
“Governor Dayton has repeatedly offered compromise and the Republican leadership has said ‘no’ every time,” Rep. Ward said. “If leadership is unwilling to compromise, we’re asking if there are other members of the Republican caucus willing to step up, do the right thing for the people of Minnesota and compromise with Governor Dayton.”
Two Brainerd residents, Kathy Stevens, a child care provider, and Meghan Hennessey, a MinnesotaCare employee, joined DFL members at the event.
Payments to child care providers through the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) have been interrupted during the shutdown and the Republican budget plan would seek to cut the program by $33.4 million in the next biennium. Child care providers are asking the legislature to also include retroactive child care payments in any final budget agreement.
“This shutdown has forced us to make some incredibly difficult decisions,” Stevens said. “We can either close our doors, or we can continue to help those families in need, without any guarantee that we’ll receive our state aid once the shutdown is resolved. I hope the legislature will do the right thing and reimburse us for this temporarily uncompensated care when an agreement is reached.
“However, this temporary problem would be made permanent by the Republican budget,” Stevens added. “We need a balanced approach that asks everyone to pitch in their fair share on a budget that works for all Minnesotans.”
Hennessey has been laid off during the shutdown and the budget proposed by the majority would make deep cuts MinnesotaCare, forcing thousands of working-class Minnesotans to lose their health coverage. The Republican budget would also cut 15 percent of the state’s workforce by 2015.
“This shutdown has brought an incredible hardship on state workers like me across the entire state,” Hennessey said. “But worse than that, the Republican majority proposes throwing 140,000 Minnesotans off the health care they desperately need, while also throwing thousands of hard-working state employees into unemployment. Minnesota needs a balanced approach that delivers the services people need.”
“Compromise is difficult work and requires a give and take by both sides, and requires not necessarily getting everything you want,” Rep. Ward said. “My DFL colleagues and I are working to end this shutdown and pass a balanced, fair budget. Now we’re just looking for some courageous Republicans who are willing to compromise, end this shutdown, and get Minnesota back up and running.
News Items
- Local Projects Among $18 million in Small Cities Development Grants - (Posted: Jun 12 2013 9:46AM)
- Rep. Ward Encourages Non-Profits to Apply for MNsure Consumer Assistance Grants - (Posted: Jun 3 2013 1:39PM)
- Rep. Ward Appointed to Serve on Select Committee on Controlled Substances and Synthetic Drugs - (Posted: May 30 2013 9:58AM)
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