------=_Part_182328_-86414751.1052697784978 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit MAP Advocate Vol. 9 No. 13 May 9, 2003 Advocate, this is your MAP Advocate! * Take Action! We'll Talk the Talk, If You Walk the Walk * Take Action! Voice Your Concern to Health and Human Service Conferees * Take Action! Tell E-12 Conferees You Support Comprehensive Sex Ed * HIV Education Debate Moves to Conference Committee * Future of Workplace Education to be Decided in Conference Committee * Health and Human Service Bills go to Conference with Big Differences * STI Rates on the Rise in Minnesota Take Action! We'll Talk the Talk, If You Walk the Walk MAP Public Policy gets almost all of its funding from the AIDSWalk. We need your support to ensure that we continue to be a voice for sound HIV policy in St. Paul. You can either donate online or sign-up to be a walker and join us in Minnehaha Park and enjoy the day. The AIDSWalk is May 18. Click here and visit the AIDSWalk Web site: http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=1010 Take Action! Voice Your Concern to Health and Human Service Conferees Are you concerned about health care access for low-income Minnesotans and people with disabilities? What about young people needing access to confidential health care services? Health and Human Services conferees need to hear from you TODAY! The legislature is scheduled to adjourn on May 19 and a delay of even a day or two may be too late. This is your chance to make your voice heard. Visit MAP's Web site to find out who the conferees are and their contact info: http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=QZ555fzJvu3iAbd_sxqAZA.. Take Action! Tell E-12 Conferees You Support Comprehensive Sex Ed Do you support comprehensive sex ed? Are you concerned about replacing sound public health with ideology? Want schools to continue to get the support they need to get technically-accurate information to young people on HIV, STIs and pregnancy prevention? E-12 conferees need to hear from you without delay! Visit MAP's Web site to find out who the conferees are and their contact info: http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=KrdVHTUxq0biAbd_sxqAZA.. Health and Human Service Bills go to Conference with Big Differences The House and the Senate approved two very different Health and Human Services bills. Both bills are relatively "clean" when it comes to HIV prevention and HIV specific services (i.e. case management) with no funding cuts proposed. However, major adjustments have been made in eligibility for state-funded health care that will eliminate coverage for some, and cause dramatic changes for others. Cuts in the Senate bill are much less severe, requiring more revenue than the House or Governor have expressed a willingness to provide. In addition, the House bill contains a provision rejected by the Senate that removes the assurance of confidentiality from minor's consent, allowing parents access to a minors health records around sexual health, substance abuse and mental health. Expect this bill to remain in flux until the end of session. Visit MAP's Web site to find out who the conferees are and their contact info: http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=rl9gV0OQFEPiAbd_sxqAZA.. HIV Education Debate Moves to Conference Committee Again, the House and Senate have approved omnibus E-12 bills with very different approaches to teaching sexual health education. The Senate bill contains language very similar to MAP's comprehensive sex ed bill that reestablishes comprehensive, technically accurate sex education as the standard for Minnesota schools. The House, however, is advancing an ideologically based approach that requires schools to implement a costly dual-track option that teaches unproven abstinence-only until marriage curriculum. The Senate has also approved funding to continue the K-12 HIV regional training sites that was not approved by the House. It will be difficult for this committee to reach a compromise with two vastly different approaches. Visit MAP's Web site to find out who the conferees are and their contact info: http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=C9MT3dJ9ikziAbd_sxqAZA.. Future of Workplace Funding to be Decided in Conference Committee $75,000 to continue HIV workplace education is included in the Senate Economic Development bill, but not in the House bill. The service, offered by MAP and known as Wise @ Work, is provided to employers dealing with HIV in the workplace and was created in response to the growing problem of stigma and discrimination people with HIV were facing as they returned to work. Conferees have not yet been named so check MAP's Web site which will be updated as soon as that information is available. They will need to hear from you! STI Rates on the Rise in Minnesota The Minnesota Health Department released a report May 5 citing an alarming increase in the rates of STIs in the state. MAP is disappointed in these numbers, but hardly surprised. In past years, requests to the legislature and governor for more funding to prevent new sexually transmitted infections have been rejected and STI prevention has been put on the back of HIV - no added dollars, just the directive: "here, do this too." This both reduces the focus on the other STIs and waters down the HIV prevention message. When you combine that with the abstinence-only-until-marriage and "condoms-don't-work" approach to disease prevention, it is no wonder we are seeing this increase in STIs. To view the health department's report, go to the MAP home page and scroll down to "In the News": http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=RlUtqWwhtXXiAbd_sxqAZA.. MAP Advocate is published by the Minnesota AIDS Project every two weeks while the Minnesota Legislature is in session, and monthly during the rest of the year. It is available through the MAP Web site and through email list service. If you wish to receive the MAP Advocate, visit the MAP Web site or contact MAP Public Policy by phone or email. If you have a comment, please contact MAP Public Policy by phone or email. MAP Public Policy Minnesota AIDS Project 1400 Park Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55404 612-341-2060 800-373-2437 MAP Public Policy Email Address: http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=Wg-_tYARdGviAbd_sxqAZA.. MAP Home Page: http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=RlUtqWwhtXXiAbd_sxqAZA.. To unsubscribe from all future e-mail, paste the following URL into your browser: http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/CO?i=hpFXnU0IoR8U_bsxz1rn9Y8uFizeWeKm ------=_Part_182328_-86414751.1052697784978 Content-Type: text/html Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <html> <head> <Bass href="http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/"> <link href="http://register.mnaidsproject.org/css/UserStyle.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link href="http://register.mnaidsproject.org/css/CustomStyle.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> </head> <body> <P><IMG alt="MAP Public Policy ... take action. see results" src="http://register.mnaidsproject.org/images/content/pagebuilder/10797.jpg" border=0></P> <P class=subheading>MAP Advocate<BR>Vol. 9 No. 13<BR>May 9, 2003</P> <P class=subheading>Advocate, this is your MAP Advocate!</P> <UL> <LI> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Take Action! We'll Talk the Talk, If You Walk the Walk</DIV></LI> <LI> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Take Action! Voice Your Concern to Health and Human Service Conferees</DIV></LI> <LI> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Take Action! Tell E-12 Conferees You Support Comprehensive Sex Ed</DIV></LI> <LI> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">HIV Education Debate Moves to Conference Committee</DIV></LI> <LI> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Future of Workplace Education to be Decided in Conference Committee</DIV></LI> <LI> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Health and Human Service Bills go to Conference with Big Differences</DIV></LI> <LI> <DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">STI Rates on the Rise in Minnesota</DIV></LI></UL> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P class=subheading style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Take Action! We'll Talk the Talk, If You Walk the Walk<BR> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">MAP Public Policy gets almost all of its funding from the AIDSWalk. We need your support to ensure that we continue to be a voice for sound HIV policy in St. Paul. You can either donate online or sign-up to be a walker and join us in Minnehaha Park and enjoy the day. The AIDSWalk is May 18. </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Click here and visit the AIDSWalk Web site: </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A href="http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=1010">http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=1010</A></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P class=subheading style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Take Action! Voice Your Concern to Health and Human Service Conferees</P><BR> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Are you concerned about health care access for low-income Minnesotans and people with disabilities? What about young people needing access to confidential health care services? </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Health and Human Services conferees need to hear from you TODAY! The legislature is scheduled to adjourn on May 19 and a delay of even a day or two may be too late. This is your chance to make your voice heard. </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Visit MAP's Web site to find out who the conferees are and their contact info:</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A title="MAP Bill Tracker" href="http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=QZ555fzJvu3iAbd_sxqAZA..">http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=QZ555fzJvu3iAbd_sxqAZA..</A></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P class=subheading style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Take Action! Tell E-12 Conferees You Support Comprehensive Sex Ed</P><BR> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Do you support comprehensive sex ed? Are you concerned about replacing sound public health with ideology? Want schools to continue to get the support they need to get technically-accurate information to young people on HIV, STIs and pregnancy prevention? </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">E-12 conferees need to hear from you without delay! </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Visit MAP's Web site to find out who the conferees are and their contact info:</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A href="http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=KrdVHTUxq0biAbd_sxqAZA..">http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=KrdVHTUxq0biAbd_sxqAZA..</A></P> <P class=subheading style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P class=subheading style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P class=subheading style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Health and Human Service Bills go to Conference with Big Differences</P><BR> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The House and the Senate approved two very different Health and Human Services bills. Both bills are relatively "clean" when it comes to HIV prevention and HIV specific services (i.e. case management) with no funding cuts proposed. </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">However, major adjustments have been made in eligibility for state-funded health care that will eliminate coverage for some, and cause dramatic changes for others. Cuts in the Senate bill are much less severe, requiring more revenue than the House or Governor have expressed a willingness to provide. </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">In addition, the House bill contains a provision rejected by the Senate that removes the assurance of confidentiality from minor's consent, allowing parents access to a minors health records around sexual health, substance abuse and mental health. Expect this bill to remain in flux until the end of session.</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Visit MAP's Web site to find out who the conferees are and their contact info:</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A title="MAP Bill Tracker" href="http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=rl9gV0OQFEPiAbd_sxqAZA..">http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=rl9gV0OQFEPiAbd_sxqAZA..</A></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P class=subheading style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">HIV Education Debate Moves to Conference Committee</P> <P class=subheading style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Again, the House and Senate have approved omnibus E-12 bills with very different approaches to teaching sexual health education. </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The Senate bill contains language very similar to MAP's comprehensive sex ed bill that reestablishes comprehensive, technically accurate sex education as the standard for Minnesota schools. The House, however, is advancing an ideologically based approach that requires schools to implement a costly dual-track option that teaches unproven abstinence-only until marriage curriculum. </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The Senate has also approved funding to continue the K-12 HIV regional training sites that was not approved by the House. It will be difficult for this committee to reach a compromise with two vastly different approaches.</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Visit MAP's Web site to find out who the conferees are and their contact info:</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A title="MAP Bill Tracker" href="http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=C9MT3dJ9ikziAbd_sxqAZA..">http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=C9MT3dJ9ikziAbd_sxqAZA..</A></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P class=subheading style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Future of Workplace Funding to be Decided in Conference Committee</P> <P>$75,000 to continue HIV workplace education is included in the Senate Economic Development bill, but not in the House bill. The service, offered by MAP and known as Wise @ Work, is provided to employers dealing with HIV in the workplace and was created in response to the growing problem of stigma and discrimination people with HIV were facing as they returned to work. </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Conferees have not yet been named so check MAP's Web site which will be updated as soon as that information is available. They will need to hear from you!</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P class=subheading style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">STI Rates on the Rise in Minnesota<BR><BR></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">The Minnesota Health Department released a report May 5 citing an alarming increase in the rates of STIs in the state. </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">MAP is disappointed in these numbers, but hardly surprised. In past years, requests to the legislature and governor for more funding to prevent new sexually transmitted infections have been rejected and STI prevention has been put on the back of HIV - no added dollars, just the directive: "here, do this too." This both reduces the focus on the other STIs and waters down the HIV prevention message. When you combine that with the abstinence-only-until-marriage and "condoms-don't-work" approach to disease prevention, it is no wonder we are seeing this increase in STIs.</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">To view the health department's report, go to the MAP home page and scroll down to "In the News":</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A title="MAP Home Page" href="http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=RlUtqWwhtXXiAbd_sxqAZA..">http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=RlUtqWwhtXXiAbd_sxqAZA..</A></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">MAP Advocate is published by the Minnesota AIDS Project every two weeks while the Minnesota Legislature is in session, and monthly during the rest of the year. It is available through the MAP Web site and through email list service. If you wish to receive the MAP Advocate, visit the MAP Web site or contact MAP Public Policy by phone or email.</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">If you have a comment, please contact MAP Public Policy by phone or email.</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">MAP Public Policy</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Minnesota AIDS Project</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">1400 Park Avenue</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Minneapolis, MN 55404</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">612-341-2060</P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">800-373-2437<BR></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">MAP Public Policy Email Address: <A title="MAP Public Policy Email Address" href="http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=Wg-_tYARdGviAbd_sxqAZA..">http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=Wg-_tYARdGviAbd_sxqAZA..</A><BR><BR>MAP Home Page: <A title="MAP Home Page" href="http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=RlUtqWwhtXXiAbd_sxqAZA..">http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/R?i=RlUtqWwhtXXiAbd_sxqAZA..</A></P><img src="http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/PixelServer?j=7OpnlbLvvRniAbd_sxqAZA.." height="1" width="1"> <p><a href="http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/TellAFriend?msgId=1624">Forward This E-mail To A Friend</a><br /> Received this e-mail from a friend? -<br /> <a href="https://secure2.convio.net/map/site/ConsProfileUser">Register for your own online</a><br /> <a href="http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/CO?i=hpFXnU0IoR8U_bsxz1rn9Y8uFizeWeKm">Email Preferences</a> | <a href="http://register.mnaidsproject.org/site/UserLogin">Password Help</a> | <a href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">Questions/Feedback</a><br /> <a href="http://www.convio.com/site/PageServer">Powered by Convio</a></p> </body> </html> ------=_Part_182328_-86414751.1052697784978--