FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 26, 2018
Contact: Kenza Hadj-Moussa, TakeAction Minnesota, 612-386-9556
JaNaé Bates, ISAIAH, 612-234-1735
NEWS RELEASE
New Poll of Likely 2018 Voters Shows Broad Support for Family Care in Minnesota
Poll shows a majority of Minnesotans support elder care, child care, paid family leave, and earned sick and safe time proposals
St. Paul, MN—All of us may need care at some point in our lives, which according to a new poll is driving Minnesotans to demand action on care issues in the coming election. A new poll released today shows over 60% of likely voters in Minnesota support family care proposals that include elder care, child care, paid family leave, and earned sick and safe time.
A majority of voters (51%) would be more likely to support a candidate who supports family care proposals, according to the study conducted by Lake Research. Despite this mandate, some politicians are working to divide Minnesotans by their race, religion or zip code to distract from this drastic underfunding of our care infrastructure. These same politicians have delivered tax breaks to corporations and wealthy Minnesotans who help to fund their campaigns.
Across the state, Minnesotans like Jacquelyn Kelly and her family are facing the shortages and care needs caused by underfunding
“We have to talk about care in Minnesota this election season,” said Jacquelyn Kelly, a family caregiver and member of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota. ”We’re greater than fear and division when we come together to solve problems that affect all of our families.”
In 2014, more than 85% of child care workers were low-wage workers earning less than $20,000 per year. The highest percent of any industry, according to the recent report Toward a More Caring Minnesota.
“We need politicians with real solutions,” said Nasro Abshir Director and Owner of Family First Childcare Center and leader with Kids Count on Us, an initiative of the faith and justice coalition, ISAIAH. “As we head towards the next election candidates want our votes. If elected officials are serious about fighting for kids and addressing racial equity in our state, we want you to stand up now to stop the harm that is being inflicted.”
Lake Research Partners polled 600 likely general election voters in Minnesota between August 21-26. They presented four policies platforms—all of which secured the majority of voter support. Paid family leave (68%) and elder care (67%) programs were the most popular among Minnesotans, followed by earned sick and safe time (63%) and child care (60%). Elder care and child care programs were described as being funded by a tax on those earning more than $250,000 per year.
“I think it’s important to come together because we are humans, we’re all the same fundamentally, we all need to be cared for and we all need to help each other,” said Lauren Thompson, a leader with SEIU Healthcare Minnesota who lives in an assisted living facility in Champlin. “If we don’t come together, this small group of wealthy people will continue to take more for themselves, and it is going to keep perpetuating the cycle of people not getting the care they need and being excluded, which hurts everybody.”
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TakeAction Minnesota is a statewide, independent, multiracial people’s organization working to advance democracy and equity through organizing, political action, and campaigns. The organization has offices in St. Paul, Duluth, and St. Cloud. TakeAction Minnesota is a state partner of Caring Across Generations, a nationwide organization working to bring our caregiving infrastructure into the 21st century, so everyone can age and care with dignity.
SEIU Healthcare Minnesota represents over 35,000 healthcare and long term care workers in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and home care across Minnesota.
ISAIAH is a multi-faith, multi-racial, state-wide and nonpartisan organizing coalition of 200 faith communities creating racial and economic justice in Minnesota. Kids Count on Us is an initiative of ISAIAH and a coalition of over 75 childcare centers with hundreds of providers and parents statewide dedicated to fighting for full funding of Minnesota’s future through early childhood education.
