2021 Minnesota State Legislative Session
The Minnesota 2021 Legislative Session officially started at noon on Tuesday, January 5, when both the House and Senate held their first-floor sessions of the year. This year’s regular legislative session must end by May 17.
This legislative session is the first session of our state’s two-year biennium so the focus will be passing a balanced budget. COVID-19 and the remote nature of the legislature will impact their work so it is likely that a limited number of bills that can be processed by legislative staff. Committee work began in mid-January with state agencies providing overviews of their departments and operations.
Updated information will be posted here as it becomes available throughout the session.
What can you do?
There are multiple ways to get involved in the legislative process all year round. Whether you are a person with a disability, a loved one, someone who works in disability services, or a caring member of the community, below are ways to take your advocacy to the next step!
First Steps
Do you know who your Minnesota legislators are that represent you? This is important because these are the people who directly impact you and your community, so they are the best ones to contact about issues that matter to you! Click the below links to learn more!
Make sure you know who represents you. These are the people who will be voting on the legislation that affects you and your community, which means they are the best people to contact about the issues that matter to you!
Emailing, calling, or writing your legislators
Contact your legislators to let them know what is important to you. Maybe you care most about day services, job placement, life enrichment services, or welfare-tow-work programs -- whatever services have had an impact on you, let your legislators know how they have made a difference in your life. If you aren’t sure what to say, you can look at the sample letters we have drafted here.
Writing a letter to the editor
Writing a Letter to the Editor to your local newspaper can be a great way to get the rest of your community involved in an issue. You can use the template below to help you if you aren’t sure how to write one. Remember, letters to the editor are best when you personalize it as much as you are comfortable with, by making it clear why this issue matters to you. Try to keep them to no more than about 175 words in length.
Read the article Tracy Bird, who is served at Rise Spring Lake Park, submitted to Access Press and had published in June 2019. She discussed the importance of staying in touch with your state representatives and having your voice heard. It's a great example from someone who is speaking from her heart about her own personal experiences.
Links to the submission forms for some newspapers you may have in your community are listed below.
Star Tribune
MinnPost
ABC Newspapers (Anoka County)
Sun Focus (Columbia Heights, Fridley, Mounds View and New Brighton)
Sun Post (Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Robbinsdale, Crystal, New Hope and Golden Valley)
Sun Current (Edina, Richfield, Bloomington and Eden Prairie)
Stillwater Gazette
Forest Lake Times
Other letter to the editor submission forms in the area can be found here, under “Online Services.”
Special Events
Rise annually hosts opportunities for persons served and their families to stay informed about the current legislative session.
- Disability Services Day at the Capital will be held virtually this year on Tuesday, March 9. Registration for the event is live at at www.disabilityservicesday.com.
- Legislative update sessions are often hosted by Rise President & CEO Lynn Noren at various Rise office locations to help keep families, people served. and our supporters informed.
Become an Advocacy Volunteer
We are always looking for volunteers who are interested in advocating on behalf of the people we serve. Advocacy volunteers can take on a variety of roles and time commitments can be as much or as little as you’d like. For more information about becoming an advocacy volunteer, contact volunteer@rise.org
Learn More about Self-Advocacy -
ACT, Advocating Change Together
Learning how to self-advocate
Wisconsin 2021 Legislative Session
The Wisconsin 2021 Legislative Session officially started at noon on Monday, January 4, when both the House and Senate held their first-floor sessions of the year. This year’s regular legislative session must end by December 31, 2021.
This legislative session is the first session post-Census so the focus will be redistricting the state and passing a state budget. Wisconsin is one of 28 state legislatures where neither party has a veto-proof supermajority, and the Republican party holds a majority of the House and Senate. Additionally, lawmakers have made in-person sessions mandatory. These factors lead to a lot of uncertainty regarding the Wisconsin Legislative session.
Updated information will be posted here as it becomes available throughout the session.
There are multiple ways to get involved in the legislative process all year round. Whether you are a person with a disability, a loved one, someone who works in disability services, or a caring member of the community, below are ways to take your advocacy to the next step!
FIRST STEPS
Do you know who your Wisconsin legislators are that represent you? This is important because these are the people who directly impact you and your community, so they are the best ones to contact about issues that matter to you! Click the below links to learn more
Make sure you know who represents you. These are the people who will be voting on the legislation that affects you and your community, which means they are the best people to contact about the issues that matter to you!
EMAILING, CALLING, OR WRITING YOUR LEGISLATORS
Contact your legislators to let them know what is important to you. Maybe you care most about day services, job placement, or life enrichment services, -- whatever services have had an impact on you, let your legislators know how they have made a difference in your life. If you aren’t sure what to say, you can look at the sample letters we have drafted here.
WRITING A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Writing a Letter to the Editor to your local newspaper can be a great way to get the rest of your community involved in an issue. You can use the template below to help you if you aren’t sure how to write one. Remember, letters to the editor are best when you personalize it as much as you are comfortable with, by making it clear why this issue matters to you. Try to keep them to no more than about 175 words in length.
Read the article Tracy Bird, who is served at Rise Spring Lake Park, submitted to Access Press and had published in June 2019. She discussed the importance of staying in touch with your state representatives and having your voice heard. It's a great example from someone who is speaking from her heart about her own personal experiences.
Links to the submission forms for some newspapers you may have in your community are listed below.
Star-Observer (Covers New Richmond, Somerset, Star Prairie, Roberts, Hammond, Houlton, Hudson, and River Falls).
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee)
Become an Advocacy Volunteer
We are always looking for volunteers who are interested in advocating on behalf of the people we serve. Advocacy volunteers can take on a variety of roles and time commitments can be as much or as little as you’d like. For more information about becoming an advocacy volunteer, contact volunteer@rise.org
Learn More about Self-Advocacy -
ACT, Advocating Change Together
Learning how to self-advocate