A Strong Record of Policy Leadership

Does "One Minnesota" Include Older Adults?

March 24, 2023

The Honorable Tim Walz, Minnesota Governor

The Honorable Melissa Hortman, Speaker of the House

The Honorable Kari Dziedzic, Senate Majority Leader

The Honorable Bobby Joe Champion, President of the Senate

Dear Governor Walz and Legislative Leaders,

I write today in response to your 2023 budget targets with an urgent request to reconsider the resources needed by chairs of the health and human services committees to ensure that Minnesota is a great state to grow up and to grow old.

Minnesota is experiencing an unprecedented demographic shift – growing older and more diverse each day – with more than one million people over age 65. The value of these older adults is woven into the fabric of our society, and each day we see how families and communities are struggling to meet our basic societal obligations.

As trusted organizations in the state’s aging sector, Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging members have worked with lawmakers to advance essential policy solutions that move us towards being an age-friendly state and address the fundamental human needs of older adults, such as meals, shelter, family supports, ideas to close equity gaps and strengthen our infrastructure, as well as to increase rates so providers can offer a service safety net and family-sustaining wages to lift a dedicated workforce – the majority of which are women and people of color – out of poverty. But the health and human services omnibus bills can’t address these societal obligations without your leadership.

I ask each of you to increase these targets and ensure “One Minnesota” extends to our state’s older adults and caregivers. Together, let us make sure our state values all people across the lifespan and doesn’t continue to leave older adults and their families behind.

Respectfully submitted,

Adam Suomala                                                                               

Executive Director             

Minnesota Leadership Council on Aging

Cc: MN Leadership Council on Aging Delegates, The Honorable Senator John Hoffman, The Honorable Senator Melissa Wiklund, The Honorable State Representative Mohamud Noor, and The Honorable State Representative Tina Liebling

Were Older Adults an Afterthought in the Governor's Budget?

January 25, 2023

Governor Walz makes no apologies for his priority to make Minnesota the best state for kids. Nor should he; we all value how our children grow up. But our state must also have a vision for how they’ll grow old. If this budget is a moral document, elected officials must now step up to prioritize the other end of the lifespan. To ask, “how are the seniors?”

Each day, Minnesota’s one million older adults – a population that now outnumbers our school age children – prove their value is woven into the fabric of our state. They serve as experienced members of our workforce, trusted volunteers, caregivers, coaches, family leaders, champions for community issues, educators, etc. Yet this new budget fails to accurately reflect the urgent needs faced by so many families on aging issues, such as access to services, housing, caregiver supports, food insecurity, etc.  

While there are some small investments in select areas impacting aging in our state, this budget now needs an infusion from leadership in the House and Senate to achieve his promise of One Minnesota. Let this be the needed conversation starter for lawmakers to elevate aging and the needed investments to ensure Minnesota can be a great place to grow up AND to grow old.