Connecting the community with support and education on issues of health and personal freedom. Follow
04/22/2026
As it should be.
JUST IN: Flu vaccine no longer mandated for US troops, Hegseth says
He said American service members are free to get the flu vaccine but will not be forced to “because your body, your faith, and your convictions are not negotiable.”
https://www.northernnewsnow.com/2026/04/21/flu-vaccine-no-longer-mandated-us-troops-hegseth-says/
This seems to reflect an unfortunate and widespread misunderstanding about Medicaid waivers, rooted in a lack of awareness of their long history.
These waivers predate COVID-19 and the Biden administration by decades, originating as far back as the era of Ronald Reagan. Their purpose is straightforward but essential: to “waive” the requirement that care must be delivered in an institutional setting and instead allow individuals to receive care in their communities when it is medically appropriate. This approach is not only more cost-effective, but also more humane.
A key component of these waivers in many states is the ability for parents of minors or family members to serve as paid caregivers. This policy exists to address a very real workforce crisis. Direct care roles are chronically understaffed due to low wages, limited benefits, and the demanding nature of the work. Supporting individuals with profound disabilities often involves highly skilled, intimate, and physically and emotionally taxing care. It can also include managing complex medical needs and responding to behavioral challenges that require hands-on support, sometimes at personal risk.
Family caregivers step into this gap not because it is easy, but because they are uniquely qualified. They know their loved ones’ medical histories, medications, therapies, and communication styles in ways that no outside provider can replicate. They bring not only skill, but deep commitment and compassion. While many would provide this care regardless of compensation, doing so comes at significant personal cost. In most cases, caregiving responsibilities make it impossible to maintain outside employment. Without waiver support, the alternative would often require multiple paid staff, increasing costs to the system substantially.
Since their inception, Medicaid waivers have enabled individuals with disabilities to remain integrated within their families and communities rather than being confined to institutions. Paid family caregiving is not only a practical solution to the workforce shortage, it is also a fiscally responsible one. Family caregivers are typically compensated at a fraction of the cost of institutional providers, without benefits or retirement contributions, without SSI work credit, and at the expense of their own long-term financial security.
Efforts to restrict or eliminate these waivers risk causing serious harm. Such actions would disproportionately affect individuals with disabilities and their families, potentially forcing more people into institutional care and exacerbating both human and financial costs.
It is also extremely important to distinguish between legitimate caregiving and fraud. Evidence consistently shows that large-scale fraud occurs primarily at the provider level, not among everyday families. Fraudulent activity often involves organizations or individuals creating sham providers, falsifying diagnoses, billing for nonexistent services, or exploiting system loopholes through coordinated schemes. These operations involve identity theft, fabricated patients, or improper billing practices carried out with little oversight.
By contrast, accessing waiver services as a family is a rigorous and highly regulated process. It requires extensive medical and psychological evaluations, long waitlists, and ongoing assessments, approvals, and monitoring. It is not an easy or quick way to make money. In fact, it is one of the most demanding and scrutinized paths within the system.
Addressing fraud is critical, but solutions should be targeted where the problem actually exists. Strengthening oversight of providers and billing and closing systemic loopholes will be far more effective than restricting access for families who are providing essential, high-quality care.
Medicaid waivers have worked for decades to support vulnerable individuals and promote community-based care. The spike in fraud isn’t the program- it’s that it’s been targeted through lack of oversight. The focus now should be on preserving and improving this system- to protect those it was designed to serve.
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1F4k4STdJk/?mibextid=wwXIfr
04/08/2026
Minnesota families… you showed UP.
And not just a few of you- over 1,000 strong. Parents. Kids. Entire families filling all three levels of the Capitol, with even more winding down the sidewalks outside.
You showed up with something you can’t buy or fake: community.
This -this- is what real advocacy looks like.
Not paid lobbyists. Not special interest groups.
But an army of families who refuse to become just another statistic in the exodus from our state.
Lawmakers NOTICED.
Who was watching was PROFOUND.
And the feedback already coming in is clear: you made an impact. You turned heads. You shifted the room. You reminded decision-makers who these policies actually affect. And you did it together.
Parental rights isn’t an amendment or a footnote - it’s the line you do not want to cross.
This was incredibly powerful and deeply encouraging, but it isn’t the end.
Session runs through May 18, and we will continue to watch closely, track changes, and keep you informed every step of the way.
And beyond that, this doesn’t stop here. This is about elections. Community building. Supporting one another.
This is not a one-day rally. This is a family. A community. A movement that continues.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
Minnesota is a special place still worth fighting for. 🙏🇺🇸
04/07/2026
04/04/2026
WHAT is an omnibus bill?
An omnibus bill is one large bill that bundles many smaller bills together, often combining policy changes and spending into a single package voted on all at once.
In Minnesota, the Constitution requires bills to be limited to a single subject.
But for over 50 years, that requirement has been interpreted very broadly, allowing lawmakers to create large “topical” omnibus bills- like Health & Human Services (DHS), Education, or Public Safety.
👉 That means many smaller, unrelated bills within that broad topic can be combined into one massive bill.
Where do small bills get added?
• Filing stage - included early in large packages
• Floor vote (by amendment) - added during debate
• Conference committee (by negotiation) - added late, behind closed doors
Why it matters:
Omnibus bills can be hundreds- or even over 1,000 pages long. They often move quickly and can be nearly impossible to fully read and track in time.
👉 This creates real risk of missing major policy changes that impact our rights.
And if something *is* caught?
It often means needing enough support to stop an entire massive bill over that one issue.
That’s why showing up now matters.
📍 April 8
🕙 10 AM
📍 Minnesota State Capitol
See you there 🇺🇸
https://facebook.com/events/s/rally-for-health-parental-righ/1660410418469087/
04/04/2026
In just a few days, families from across Minnesota will gather in one place.
Not because it’s easy.
But because it matters.
Because decisions are being made that affect our children and the future they will grow up in.
And in moments like this, showing up matters more than ever.
You may hear that committee deadlines have passed- and it’s true these bills have not advanced through the traditional path to become law.
But that doesn’t mean they’re gone.
The fact that they had a large slate of authors and received hearings can signal there is strong interest. They can still be recalled with urgency (rare) or folded into a larger omnibus bill (common).
And that matters.
Most concerning are the omnibus bills which are often hundreds or even thousands of pages long, moving quickly, with little time for review or public response. Provisions can be added quietly and passed before families even know they’re there.
We’ve seen that before.
Last biennium, changes to daycare exemptions followed this exact path -heard, stalled, then inserted into a massive omnibus bill. Before families l- or lawmakers- could even read it, it passed- and thousands lost access to daycare.
That’s why now matters.
Because once an omnibus bill is moving, it’s too late to rally.
Right now is when we show that parental rights are not a footnote, they are a line worth holding.
📍 Map attached for easy navigation.
🎈 Free hankies & flags for kids-this is a family-friendly event!
🎤 Speakers include MHPR, MACHE, HSLDA, Local Families, Providers and Lawmakers.
🔗 https://www.facebook.com/share/18AxpkhxYa/?mibextid=wwXIfr
04/03/2026
Only 5 days until the rally!
Here are some helpful tips for your journey:
- The State Office Building (aka The House) is currently under construction so the building and tunnel below are closed. If you made an appointment with your House Representative, they are temporarily located across the lawn in the Centennial Building.
- The Capitol now has security screening so plan to arrive a little early. Imagine a simpler & smaller version of the airport but without the full body scanner. As a result, you can now only access the Capitol building under the big front stairs or via the Senate building. Don't worry, it's not awful, just different than years prior.
(Fun fact: the area under the stairs was originally a covered entrance for horse drawn carriages. Be sure to checkout the cool ceiling.)
For more info: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/msp/state-patrol-dashboard/capitol-security-dashboard/plan-your-visit-mn-state-capitol