Alright – so the election is finally over for 2014 and we are now reflecting how we voted and what they will do. As a minority autism mom that usually advocates to change policies regarding autism – I’ve had a love/hate relationship with many legislators. Sadly, most legislators preach all kinds of good campaign words, but rarely remember them once elected.
Minnesota House of Reps for the last two years has been hell for me to advocate – not kidding. I had to drink so much coffee or Somali tea to even go to this building. If I drank other stuff – I might’ve become alcoholic. Starting with Speaker Thissen to Asst majority leader – Rep Murphy to their staff to committee administrators to legislative aids have been mostly snobs and rude. I could not get one thing done for minority autism families and communities for the last two sessions. Luckily, the senate is the sane voice of reason and they are the upper chamber that mostly supported our autism policy positions, with the exception of few Senators, i.e Eaton.
If you remember when MN GOP were in charge of the house back couple of years ago that is when I was able to advocate for much of what we have now including the new DHS autism benefit coming soon which all started with then chair of HHS finance – Rep Abeler. (this guy rocks!) Abeler and Hann also funded the UMN/MDH minority autism services study and this is when the MN Autism Task force passed. (you know the task force the current Speaker Thissen and company wanted to eliminate because Norton asked).
As I said before which I am sure will make many happy, I will not be going back to advocate in Minn legislature this coming session. But the fact that Thissen and Murphy are not in power anymore is icing on the cake. These two preach so much sugar coded words while they practice and write salty policies. Remember when Mpls Tribune political reporter told us where Thissen’s tongue rested. Rest assured we won’t hear where the new Speaker’s tongue rests or how his lean body is leaning on his desk. My guess is the media will tell us how wonderful MN DFLer’s were for the minority communities and how we miss them. I would believe this, but meeting them and seeing differently diminished my believe of that.
The new Speaker Kurt Daudt is mildly mannered and more laid back from what I can tell. The house committees will be less in numbers and for health, they nominated Rep Mack and Rep Dean to head the policy and finance health committees. Rep Mack – I know her well and she is actually the reason there was a minority language in the MN autism task force which she authored and she fought to save it last session during conference committee. I think she is soft spoken, but fair and reasonable. Rep Dean – I think I only met him twice and he voted to save the task force. He also voted with us during the ABA and autism bill last time and before. To me he seems quiet and measured. I am hoping he will vote the same because I am fairly certain those blood sucking ABA therapy providers and their K street type lobbyist are trying to figure out how to dismantle all the good autism policies we helped pass last few sessions.
The best icing on this win is that Liebling (Norton’s BFF) is not chairing any committee and Huntley retired. These two drove me nuts. One would never imagined their unfair and bias health bills that consistently passed out of their committees because they hid them under really sweet words to minority communities.
Have you ever wondered why Jonathan Gruber would say such hurtful things about the average American voter? The answer is because that is what he and others like him such as Dan Pollock who worked for assistant majority leader Rep Murphy think of us. I think Mr. Pollock is Minnesota’s Jonathan Gruber. This guy always looked at us like we were inferior and beneath him or knew less than him. In my humble little opinion he is the perfect example of White privilege. My take – goodbye and good riddance to him.
Finally, while MN GOP house members have voted on the side of minority autism families – it is important that they hire and give equal opportunity to minority staff in their caucus and committees. MN DFL had one minority committee administrator and if MN GOP does not have even one then that can only look bad on their record. So far, I have not seen the committee CA’s, but the house leadership lacks diversity which is not good either. I hope neither party ignores or takes the minority votes for granted because without them – no political party can survive. The new committee list also does not have housing committee and re-named one of the current ones to greater Minn economic and workforce development which to me sounds that they are leaving out urban and inner city economic and workforce development especially when Minn has one of the highest gap in those areas. Not that MN DFLers did anything significant to improve that, but the new MN GOP house leadership ignores that completely.
Above words do not reflect any agency, candidate or committee.
Idil – Somali Autism Mom & Minority Advocate