The Minnesota Senate met Wednesday for the third special legislative session of the summer, passing bipartisan legislation to improve the lives of Minnesotans with disabilities and to provide court alternatives and support for Minnesota’s veterans. The first bill, SF 1, expands eligibility for the Department of Human Services’ Customized Living Quality Improvement Program, allowing more waiver providers to utilize the program. The change will also allow more providers of disability services to access the program. The second bill, SF 14, provides sentencing guidance to consider service-related trauma and suggest alternatives for veterans that provide treatment and recovery services. And, in an unannounced move, Senate Republicans also voted against the confirmation of Nancy Leppick as the Commissioner of the Department of Labor and Industry, a role she has served in for the last two years. The unprecedented vote removed the state?s primary administrator responsible for worker safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
