MAC Day at the Legislature


Missoula County Commissioner Dave Strohmaier, daughter Liezel Strohmaier and The Rev. Gretchen Strohmaier at MAC Day at the Legislature. Gretchen testified before the legislature in support of case management.

By bus and by car, a dozen or so Holy Spirit parishioners made their way to Helena on a snowy Martin Luther King Jr. Day to attend hearings, meet legislators and participate in activities hosted by MAC, Montana Association of Christians.

At the Capitol, many in the Holy Spirit delegation attended portions of a budget hearing focusing on funding on programs for the developmentally disabled. They heard impressive testimony from Missoulians, focused on the need for better case management, better overall funding for the behavioral health management system and continued Medicaid expansion. Holy Spirit is advocating this year on these issues and it felt good to have so many standing together. It was a good example, parishioners said, of the Holy Spirit in action.

At a luncheon in the Capitol Rotunda, delegates were able to talk to legislators who were eager to learn about our concerns, and were also able to exchange notes and impressions with other MAC members from Missoula and from other parts of the state. MAC is also planning to follow up as legislation progresses.

In the morning, MAC members were briefed by lobbyist Abigail St. Lawrence on how to advocate effectively. In the early afternoon, they were welcomed and applauded by the Senate as they sat in the gallery.

Holy Spirit parishioners (near tables) joined other MAC members from across
 the state for a meet-the-legislators luncheon in the Capitol Rotunda


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Restoring funding for targeted case management in Montana

What is targeted case management? Besides close family, case managers are one of the most important persons in the life of a developmentally disabled or mentally ill person. They help them get necessary services and care, thus allowing more Montanans to live in their community instead of often expensive and isolating institutional settings. Case managers help people get and keep jobs, transition to independent living, find doctors and therapists, assist clients with finding stable housing, trouble-shooting benefits paperwork, and checking on medications. They help clients navigate the transition from high school and living at home to entering the workforce and independent living. Case managers can also help people find medical and therapy providers and make sure they get to appointments and take medication. In some cases, a person can have the same case manager for years or decades, building a relationship that creates a high level of understanding. What happe
Read more

"Notice inequity and injustice, and act for change"

Our rector's message in the 2018 Annual Report of Holy Spirit Parish underscores the importance of our advocacy work: "What’s ahead in 2019? As I said in last year’s report, the wider culture at home and worldwide is rapidly changing. Christianity has had to adapt in response to changing needs throughout its history. We must as well. We best serve as stewards of God when we responsibly carry on the work of Jesus with joy and hope. What is that work? To love as he loves us; to notice inequity and injustice, and act for change; and most importantly, to be open to what God is calling us to do today so that the message of Good News is effectively shared and received. When we pause and listen to those around us, seek the heart of their stories, their yearnings, their fears, we are already bringing Good News and the presence of God’s love into their lives. Jesus met people where they were and lifted them up by his very presence, a point from which much more would come. It
Read more

Tale of Two Bills

Image
Now that HB 658, carried by Rep. Ed Buttrey, R-Great Falls, which adds "community engagement" requirements to Medicaid Expansion has been introduced, it is now possible to analyze the differences between that bill and the one carried by Rep. Mary Caferro, D-Billings. And the Montana Budget and Policy Center has done just that . Bottom line, 40,000 Montanans could lose their health care coverage under Buttrey's bill, including many in Missoula. Here is a look at how Medicaid Expansion has benefited Missoulians and Missoula businesses (taken from the appendices to the MBPC report). The initial hearing on both bills will be on Saturday.
Read more