Volume 36, Number 9
SEPTEMBER 2025
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State, federal violations in special ed
PRI turns 65 Page 6 No to shift Page 2 Learn about Medicaid Page 4 New leader Page 7 PEXEL
Sober housing operators fear shutting down in the face of regulatory and financial pressures.
Recovery housing operators face dilemma by Jane McClure A perfect regulatory and financial storm is leaving many sober or recovery housing operators in a bind. A key state law change, local zoning regulations and the shutdown of at least two major service providers has left many residents of sober or recovery housing without ways to pay for their housing. Operators predict that the situation will cause many people who need assistance to become homeless and be unable to maintain sobriety. City and state officials are scrambling to find answers. The issue has a focus on disability. Civil rights protections under the Federal Americans
Security changes? Page 5
with Disabilities Act (ADA) cover addiction, including alcohol and opioids abuse. A state law that took effect July 1 prohibits addiction treatment providers from paying the housing costs for people in their outpatient treatment programs. That has prompted some housing operators to seek changes in their zoning status, going from sober housing to other types of supportive housing. The changes are forced by the recent shutdowns of programs including Evergreen Recovery and NuWay Alliance. Those programs were subject to federal investigation for violation of anti-kickback laws. Most used HOUSING To page 3
Medicaid’s 60-year mark brings calls for action The 60-year anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid’s launch brought a mix of reflection as well as a call to action. Disability rights advocates used the anniversary as a rallying cry to call out the adverse impact federal Medicaid cuts could have on Minnesotans, especially those who live in rural areas. Medicaid was created on July 30, 1965. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Social Security Amendments of 1965, which also established Medicare. In Minnesota, the statespecific Medicaid program is known as Medical Assistance. It was implemented in 1966. The This is Medicaid coalition is calling on Minnesota policymakers to protect the health care and supports of more than a million Minnesotans who get their health care through Medicaid / Medical Assistance. The implications of the cuts are dire. More than 140,000 Minnesotans could lose medical coverage. An estimated $1.1 billion in funding could be lost for Minnesota’s health care system. Patients face higher costs as do county governments and hospitals. “For 60 years, Medicaid has helped Minnesotans live longer, healthier lives - it’s a lifeline for hospitals and clinics across our
THIS IS MEDICAID
by Melissa Whitler Minnesota Reformer The Minnesota Department of Education notified Minneapolis Public Schools that it’s in violation of state and federal law for overidentifying Black students in the category of “developmental cognitive disability” for the past three years. The notification is part of an annual review process conducted by the state, as required by federal law, to determine what’s known as “disproportionality” in special education. The review compares identification, placement and discipline for students with disabilities across racial groups. Disproportionality is particularly concerning for Black families and their children because they are more likely to be identified in disability categories that are socially stigmatized, like developmental cognitive disabilities or emotional behavior disorder. Students placed in these categories are often placed in separate classrooms or schools, which may limit their access to rigorous coursework, electives and other opportunities open to students without disabilities. Under federal law, the district is now required to set aside 15 percent of its federal special education funds to address the disparities through a process called coordinated early intervention services, or CEIS. Using $1.2 million from its federal special education funds, the district’s plan must provide services to students without disabilities to prevent overidentification in the future. The district has selected six elementary schools that account for a substantial part of the disproportionate identification. One position will be added at each school. MDE has also notified the district that it’s at risk of violations in two other categories. For the past two years, Black students with disabilities in the district have been suspended, expelled or otherwise removed from school for disciplinary issues at more than three times the rate of other students with disabilities. And, in the 2023-24 school year, Black students with disabilities were suspended for more than 10 days more than three times as often as other students with disabilities. The district will hire one person who will assist nine elementary schools — which the district didn’t identify — with student behavior to reduce disproportionate suspension of Black students with disabilities. “I’m almost embarrassed that we needed to wait for MDE to tell us we needed to come up with a plan,” said Kim Ellison, vice chair, during a recent board meeting. “My guess is these numbers aren’t new.” Ellison was on the school board when the district entered voluntary agreements with the federal Office of Civil Rights in 2014 and the state Department of Human Rights in 2018 to address disproportionately high suspension rates for Black students. In 2023, the state began requiring districts to notify the public when they SPECIAL ED To page 4
NEWS DIGEST
Activists gathered at the capitol to outline the negative impacts of Medicaid cuts. state,” said Gov. Tim Walz. “Minnesota will do what we’ve always done: protect access to care, support our providers, and fight for the dignity and health of every Minnesotan - no matter their ZIP code or income." With a giant inflatable birthday cake as a backdrop and birthday treat bags for those present, advocates used the “birthday party” July 30 as a means to draw attention to their concerns. Those at the event stated their commitment to protecting Minnesotans’ health care as Minnesota policymakers begin to implement massive federal funding cuts and shifts,. Speakers described how Medicaid meets critical
needs for public health and well-being, and vowed to fight the cuts that were made after federal action July 4. Medicaid, known as Medical Assistance or MA in Minnesota, is the nation’s largest provider of health insurance. Advocates said it is a shared responsibility between the federal government and states. They described how Medicaid has helped ensure people of all ages who do not get health insurance from their employers and cannot afford to pay for private health insurance can get the care and services they need, when they need them. A wide range of people benefit from MEDICAID To page 9
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