State Legislation
The Office of Budget and Management said the state's November budget forecast shows an $876 million surplus for the 2012-13 biennium. The 2011 fiscal year closed with revenues $358 million higher than expected and spending $205 million below prior estimates. Projected revenues for the 2012-13 biennium are expected to be about the same and budget officials project spending to be $348 million less. The combination of these factors leaves a projected $876 million balance. The surplus is expected to restore the state's reserves to offset future budget issues.
In the short-term, the surplus is good news and provides advocates for youth issues leverage to ask the legislature to refrain from additional budget cuts to youth services in the next biennium; however, future projections for the state's budget in fiscals years 2014-15 are grim. Budget officials project a $1.3 billion deficit. Click here for more on the official budget forecast.
According to MPM’s Social Return on Investment Study (SROI), Minnesota can expect a $2.72 return for every dollar spent on effective mentoring programs in the state. The economic returns measure both the achieved reduction in costs of youth treatment programs on an annual basis and the projected increases in lifetime earnings to be attained by helping put at-risk youth on a path toward becoming productive adult citizens. A recent Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development report states that when it comes to jobs, the state is continuing to shift toward a skills-based economy. National projections indicate that 70% of jobs in Minnesota will require a postsecondary degree by 2018, up from the current 40%. This is just one more reason to become a mentor and help a young person stay on track to graduate. MPM’s online, interactive K-12 Journey Map outlines major milestones and links to relevant resources to help youth prepare for college.
Build relationships with your local legislators and help them understand how your program impacts youth and the broader community and stay informed on issues that are important to your mentoring program. Also check out the "Minnesota Speaks Up" toolkit from the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits for more advocacy tips.
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Create a Google Alert for the bill or policy you want to track. Google will send you a personal e-mail each time the search appears on the internet.
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Discuss the issue with
your legislators.
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Now that you know who your legislators are, set up a meeting with them. Their time is precious, so be sure you have something prepared. Mention that you are a constituent, and considering using an "elevator speech." This is approximately 30 seconds in length and will explain who you are, why you care about this issue, and why your legislator should care about this issue.