Task Force on Eliminating Subminimum Wages

Meeting summary for March 14, 2023 (virtual session)

· Participants listed below, at the end.

· Go to the task force webpage. and select the meetings tab to review the formal meeting agenda, presentation slides and any other relevant documents from the meetings.

Key agenda items

1. Updates on the task force report and on how it is addressed in the governor's budget proposal

2. Update from the task force's communications work group

3. Discussion about the task force going forward, including topics for the April and May meetings

Task force update

Jon Alexander, who goes by Alex, has joined the task force, replacing Raquel Sidie-Wagner. Alex is the chief executive officer of Kaposia. He will be a task force member representing an employer who successfully transitioned away from payment of subminimum wages to people with disabilities.

Updates on the task force report and on how it is addressed in the governor’s budget

The task force submitted its report to the Legislature on Feb.y 15 as required. The Legislature takes no action on the report but instead uses the report as information and suggestions from the task force. Task force co-chair Jillian Nelson noted this in response to a question from a task force member.

Ryan Merz, employment coordinator for the Disability Services Division of DHS, talked about how the governor’s budget covered the recommendations from the task force. The details are included in a section found on page 51 of the budget document for the Department of Human Services. The budget proposal focuses on changes to Minnesota home and community-based services (HCBS) waivers and the task force recommendations most directly connected to implementing those changes. To review Ryan’s slides (8-11), go to the task force webpage, select the meetings tab and scroll down to find the slides for the March 14, 2023, meeting.

Ryan noted differences in the task force recommendations and the budget proposal from the governor and DHS. The budget document calls for an end to subminimum wages for waiver services by Aug. 1, 2028, instead of Aug. 1, 2025. The budget plan would end subminimum wages for waiver services. The task force had recommended ending subminimum wages for all services and supports. The governor’s proposal focuses on the five task force recommendations necessary for ending subminimum wages in Minnesota. That budget plan doesn’t address the 15 task force recommendations on how to address barriers and strengthen the system. There is legislation proposed now that aligns with the governor’s budget proposal.

Task force questions and discussion

The following points were shared in response to questions from task force members:

· Ryan said the reason that the budget proposal calls for an end to subminimum wagers for HCBS waivers rather than all subminimum wages may be because the budget proposal focused on aligning the task force recommendations with budget and policies for DHS.

· Jillian said the DHS budget proposal uses the task force recommendations about what's required to end subminimum wages. But there is a lot of talk in the Legislature about what can be done with the task force recommendations for addressing barriers and strengthening the system.

Update from the task force’s communications work group

Task force member Larissa Beck reported on the communications work group. The work group has been meeting monthly and has developed a presentation on the task force and its report. The group is also developing a document to answer frequently asked questions (FAQs). Task force members were asked to review the draft FAQs document and offer comments and suggestions by March 24. To review Larissa’s slides (13-16), go to the task force webpage, click the meetings tab and find the presentation slides for the March 14 meeting.

Discussion of task force role going forward, including topics for April and May meetings

Jessica Burke from MAD facilitated a task force discussion about where the task force goes from here and about potential topics for the April and May meetings. The task force is scheduled to continue until March 31, 2024. In their report to the legislature, members recommended that the task force continue until subminimum wages have ended in the state. At the time it came up with its recommendation, it was assumed the deadline for ending subminimum wages would be August 1, 2025. In its report, members also recommended that the task force end on March 31, 2024, if the legislature doesn’t take action to phase out subminimum wages. That’s the date that the legislature said that the task force should end.

Task force members proposed the following specifics for what to cover in upcoming task force meetings:

· At the May meeting, the task force should go through its presentation about the report to help address misinformation and misconceptions about the recommendations. Different task force members should present each of the different recommendations. The public should be invited to view the session via the live stream.

· At the April meeting, set plans and get ready for the May meeting.

· Wait to decide future direction for the task force and topics for any June and July meetings until the task force knows what the Legislature will do on subminimum wages in the 2023 session.

· Include updates from task force work groups at the task force meetings. Right now, the only task force work group is the work group on communications, which includes task force members Jillian Nelson, Andrea Zuber, Larissa Beck, Susan Fleurant and Kirk Langsjoen, and DHS staff Ryan Merz, Lesli Kerkhoff, Beth Grube and David Verhasselt.

Task force members also shared the following ideas about the task force role going forward and task force topics:

· Under the legislation that created the task force, the task force needed to create a plan to end subminimum wages and support that plan. There's not a role for the task force in the legislative process in the language that the Legislature used to create the task force and assign the task force duties.

· The task force should be working to get its message out more. What conferences can the task force present at? What other opportunities are there to present about the report and recommendations? How does the task force clear up misconceptions about the recommendations?

· Each task force member should share information about the report and recommendations with three people they know and then have those three people share information with three more people. Keep this going as one way to get the word out.

· The governor's budget proposal for DHS addresses much of what needs to be done to implement policies for phasing out subminimum wages. Beyond that, there's a need to offer community education and capacity building. Focus on resources and ideas around work. Work is possible. Get people beyond barriers and misunderstandings about that.

· Build from the task force's FAQ document to help with the education piece and to address misconceptions.

· Have the task force focus on the recommendations that aren't addressed in the governor's budget proposal. These are the task force recommendations about barriers and strengthening the system. These are an important part of the overall plan. The task force needs to make sure people are aware of these linchpins for building capacity across the system.

· How can the task force help move forward plans and pieces that must be in place for an end to subminimum wages, including the communications plan and the plan for data systems? What have other states done? State government will have to move soon – by August 2023 – on information and data systems.

· Task force work groups developed detailed ideas when proposing recommendations. But the task force recommendations in the report are at a high level and don't include that detail. What can be done with that detail?

· When task force members know what the Legislature decides this session, maybe the task force then increases communications, getting the message out and getting it out at a granular level that matches different audiences and groups.

Closing comments

To close the meeting, Jillian said that a lot is happening at the Minnesota Legislature because of the task force report and recommendations. The long, hard work of the task force has spread beyond its members to the Legislature and to the hearts of the community statewide. “We’ve planted the seeds. Now we water them and tend to them and see what blooms,” she said. “We have so much to be proud of.”

Next task force meeting

Tuesday, April 11, 10-11:30 a.m. on Zoom.

March 14 Task Force participants

Task force members present

· Alex (Jon) Alexander

· Larissa Beck

· Sara Ellstra

· Susan Fleurant

· Brittanie Hernandez-Wilson

· Amanda Jensen-Stahl

· Alex Junge

· Michelle Kamenov

· Kirk Langsjoen

· Debbie Luther

· Leslie Kirkhoff, substituting for Heidi Hamilton

· Heidi Maghan

· Chris McVey

· Jillian Nelson

· Lori Schluttenhofer

· Andrea Zuber

Others

· Jessica Burke, MAD

· Josh Hill, MAD

· Matt Kane, MAD

· Ryan Merz, DHS