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2314 University Ave. #20
St. Paul, MN 55114
Phone: 651.642.1904
Fax: 651.642.1517
Greater MN: 1.800.289.1904

Email: info@mncn.org

Public Policy

Nonprofit Policy News

Action Alert: Urge Congress to address nonprofit concerns in final health care reform bill

Congressional leaders are putting together the final health care reform bill. It’s time for you to weigh in with Minnesota’s Congressional delegation to make sure that the final health care reform bill addresses the concerns of Minnesota’s nonprofits and the people we serve. Key leaders from the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives are moving forward to shape the final health care reform bill that could come up for a final vote within the next several weeks. It is essential that we express our support for the best provisions from both the Senate and House bills.

What You Can Do
Call Senators Klobuchar and Franken and your U.S. representative today with the following message:

The final health care reform bill should include

  • Help for small nonprofits (as for small for-profit businesses) so that they can afford to provide coverage for their employees.
  • Expansion of Medicaid coverage to individuals with incomes up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
  • Federal funding for Medicaid expansion and no shifting of significant new costs onto states.
  • Financing that is progressive overall and that does not increase the deficit.
Senator Amy Klobuchar 1-888-224-9043 Rep. Betty McCollum 651-224-9191
Senator Al Franken 651-221-1016 Rep. Keith Ellison 612-522-1212
Rep. Tim Walz 1-877-846-9259 Rep. Michele Bachmann 651-731-5400
Rep. John Kline 1-888-808-6644 Rep. Collin Peterson 218-847-5056
Rep. Erik Paulsen 952-405-8510 Rep. Jim Oberstar 218-727-7474

Get more background and read the full Action Alert

Read MCN's position statement on health care reform

Read MCN's October 28th press release, 'Health care matters to nonprofits'

Get up-to-date information on the health care debate from the Minnesota Budget Bites Blog


Having a day at the Capitol in 2010? We can help get the word out
Let us know if your nonprofit or coalition is sponsoring a day at the Capitol during the upcoming legislative session. We'll add your event to this page on our Web site so that others can learn about your event and see the amazing diversity of nonprofit advocacy in action. Send the date and Web site link to jeff@mncn.org.

Notice of proposed annual street maintenance and street lighting fee assessment for nonprofits in Minneapolis (Update below November 11)
If your organization owns property in Minneapolis, you may have recently received a notice from the City of Minneapolis regarding public hearings related to assessments on street maintenance and street lighting fees strictly aimed at nongovernmental tax exempt parcels. The Transportation and Public Works (TPW) Committee met on October 20, 2009 to discuss this and other issues. We are proud to report that sixteen tax-exempt organizations including service providers, arts groups, hospitals, churches and cemetery associations spoke up with the message that the cumulative effect of similar targeted fees and assessments is undercutting the very reason these organizations are exempt in the first place.

Read the compelling testimony from Peter Rodosovich, Vice President of Operations for the YMCA of Metropolitan Minneapolis; also check out coverage of this important issue from Minnpost.

(Update)
The Transportation and Public Works Committee of the Minneapolis City Council reconvened on Thursday, November 5th to further consider the proposed street light operations and street maintenance fee assessments on nongovernmental tax exempt properties. The committee took action on the two items separately. Cemetery properties were removed from the rolls for both assessments. Regarding the street light operations fee assessment, no major changes were made as it relates to nonprofit tax-exempt organizations. For the street maintenance assessment, the committee is recommending that the levies be phased in over a three-year period.

The full council is to review these recommendations at their regularly scheduled meeting, Friday, November 13th at 9:30 a.m. in Room 317 of the City Hall building. You can follow this link to review the city staff presentations, including power points, and the minutes of the committee meeting. http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/2009-meetings/20091113/tpw20091105agenda.asp

MCN members in Minneapolis continue to express concern regarding the impact of further assessments diverting funds from community programs and services at a time when there is increased demand for the services nonprofits provide while at the same time they are experiencing decreased revenues from all sources.You can find the contact information for your Minneapolis city council member by following this link:http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/council/

For more information, please contact MCN Deputy Public Policy Director Jeannie Fox at jeannie@mncn.org or 651-757-3083


Nonprofit property tax exemption bill signed into law
MCN's top 2009 legislative agenda item was to pass a nonprofit property tax exemption bill; we're very pleased to report the bill was passed and signed on Saturday, May 16th. Please visit the charitable property tax exemption campaign site to learn more about the new law and what it means for nonprofits.

Audit threshold raised to $750,000 for nonprofits
The governor has signed a bill with a provision to increase the threshold at which organizations are required to obtain an audited financial statement that have been examined by an independent certified public accountant. The bill changes the threshold from $350,000, where it has sat for the last twelve years, to $750,000. Organizations with a fiscal year ending July 1, 2008 or later, fall under the new limit of $750,000 for 2008 reporting. MCN believes that for Minnesota, given the dramatically increased costs of audits and the filing of the new IRS form 990, along with the effects of inflation, this is an appropriate time to increase the threshold.

Read the language of the bill, HF1298, that was included in the the tax policy bill. The provision is at section 191.34 in the bill.


Public Policy at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits
MCN supports individual nonprofits and Minnesota’s nonprofit sector to be their own best voice. Our policy work has focused on informing nonprofits of what is proposed in policy arenas, what it means and how nonprofits can serve as a resource to decision makers as they choose priorities and funding options. We host events, workshops, trainings and issue briefings, deliver testimony and distribute email legislative updates to ensure that nonprofits are educated and engaged on key issues facing the state.

Over the past 20 years, MCN has advocated on issues that impact all nonprofits, their constituents and communities and has succeeded in a range of efforts to increase incentives to charitable giving and protect nonprofit tax exemptions, lobbying rights and election activity rights.

Current Campaigns include:

Preserve Charitable Property Tax Exemption Campaign - Ever since a 2007 court ruling jeopardized charitable property tax exemptions, MCN has been advocating vigorously to clarify assessment rules and preserve the charitable property tax exemption.

Invest in Minnesota Campaign - The Invest in Minnesota Campaign is a coalition of Minnesota’s nonprofit organizations, labor groups and religious communities organized around raising revenues fairly to address Minnesota's budget shortfall.

Projects of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits include:

Minnesota Participation Project (MPP) - This is an exciting effort to support and expand the capacity of Minnesota nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations to effectively engage in permissible nonpartisan voter engagement efforts - registration, voter education and beyond. MPP is also working with community partners to ensure a complete count in the 2010 Census.

Minnesota Budget Project - The Minnesota Budget Project provides independent research, analysis and outreach on budget and tax policy issues at the state and federal level, emphasizing their impact on low- and moderate-income persons and the nonprofits that serve them.

National Voter Education Network (NVEN) - The Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network (NVEN) is a collaboration of statewide voter engagement initiatives anchored in the nonprofit sector. NVEN is dedicated to expanding the role of America’s nonprofits in voting and elections with the goal of increasing participation in the democratic process among all citizens with a focus on those with a history of lower voter participation. The initiative is a nonpartisan program of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, the largest statewide nonprofit association in the country.


Questions? Comments? Contact Jeff Narabrook at jeff@mncn.org

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2314 University Ave W. #20
St. Paul, MN 55114
Phone: 651.642.1904
Fax: 651.642.1517
Greater MN: 1.800.289.1904

Email: info@mncn.org




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