CPR Sunday September 21, 2003 – CPR General Meeting Summary

                                                            William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, MN

Attending Members

30

 

Handouts:

Meeting Agenda

1301(d) Objection Letter

Letter to Legislator – July

Letter to Legislator – August

CPR Handouts

1.      Ask your lawyer series

2.      CPR general information

 

Meeting Details

 

Meeting was opened at 5:20pm with welcome, introduction of CPR and prayer. IV-D welfare services were introduced as common denominator for many problems facing the attending group. As an introduction to a better understanding of IV-D welfare services, attendees were directed to one of 3 current CD’s provided free of cost, but suggested a $5.00 donation to help offset the cost of production.

1.      IV-D Eligibility Bill Overview – 19min.

2.      The Importance of Fathers – 1 hr.

3.      America:  Designed With Godly Intent – 1 hr.

 

Support groups are in the process of being developed to help get others through the issues they currently face. For more information or to volunteer in this coordination effort, please contact info@cpr-mn.org.

 

Guest Speaker Paula Werme was introduced.  Paula is an attorney from New Hampshire who is bicycling across the US to raise awareness of Child Protection Issues and has experience challenging the constitutional violations when the county terminates the rights of “fit non-custodial parents”. If you have knowledge of abuse/child protection cases, especially in Hennepin County, Paula would like to look into them. She can be reached via her website or info@cpr-mn.org. Paula’s website is www.werme.8m.net and she encouraged CPR to continue our work with IV-D and our constitutional challenges.

 

Paula also encouraged us to know the canons and judicial conduct codes inside out. For a judge to ignore the facts of your case is not enough to have them removed, there must be evidence of judicial misconduct. Individual complaints should be served individually and separately in a timely fashion.

 

For more information on how to file a complaint against your judicial official, please contact Jamil Jabr at 651/645-7577.

 

Success stories were shared regarding how being part of CPR has helped individuals, and included members’ comments such as:

·       I now know I am not alone in this

·       I received helpful legislative information

·       I learned important statistics to take into court proceedings that helped my case

·       I received feedback and assistance with recent modification hearing

·       I earned what NOT to do and CPR is an opportunity to help others

 

CPR Bills were introduced and explained.

 

1)      HF 1031/SF 974 is the IV-D eligibility bill. This bill will be re-introduced this legislative session to establish eligibility standards for applicants for and non-needy recipients of IV-D welfare services (child support collection). For more information or to get involved in the lobbying effort on this bill, please email info@cpr-mn.org.

 

2)      New rebuttable presumption of joint physical custody is being drafted. For more information or to get involved in the lobbying effort on this bill, please contact Terry Nyblom at TNyblom@aol.com

 

3)      Cost Shares Bill (in the Omnibus Bill HF 664/SF 600) – a Cost Shares Hearing will be held in the Basement Hearing Room (Senate Building) on October 28th at 10am. If you would like to testify, please contact Diane Anderson from the Cooperative Parenting Coalition at info@cpr-mn.org. No personal stories are needed, only testimony as to why this bill is better than Sen. Steve Smith’s Bill (Omnibus HF110/SF751). The major difference between the bills is the basic support chart.  Cost shares will take the current child support obligation and split is between tow parents; Smith’s bill will dramatically increase the total support, increasing the financial burden for the non-custodial parents. Smith’s bill also prohibits private agreements between parents.

 

§         Cost Shares Bill Strategy and Lobby Mtg to be held Thursday 10/02/03. Volunteers needed to assist on the bill committee. If you are interested in assisting at the legislature, the NEXT MEETING FOR THE CHILD SUPPORT GUIDELINE BILL COMMITTEE will be held on Thursday Oct 2, 2003 at 6:30pm at 745 Grand Ave in St Paul  - in the main floor meeting room (enter front door, meeting room on the left). Email Diane Anderson at gma@pro-ns.net or call 651/688-8238 or 651/490-9277.

 

            These bills can be found at www.leg.state.mn.us, www.cpr-mn.org also has links to legislative websites. Additionally a “cheat sheet”/fact sheet outlining the basics of these bills is available by emailing info@cpr-mn.org.

 

A BREAK was taken from 7:00pm7:10, before the OPTIONAL Educational HOUR on Title IV-D.

 

The meeting resumed with several volunteer offers of help from attending members.

            -Jamil has offered to hold a FREE computer class on getting connected to the internet using basic computer skills (email and web). For more information, please contact Jamil at jamil@tc.umn.edu.

            -Roxanne Heinrich, a local attorney, volunteered to offer FREE mini-law clinics in 30-minute appointments over the next 4 weeks. Please email info@cpr-mn.org for more information or to request a FREE appointment with an attorney.

            -Tim Bryan has a FREE computer he is able to lend to anyone needing internet access. Please contact Tim at go4eagle@aol.com.

 

The floor was then opened to a question of what issues can CPR address that would help your case? Please email your thoughts.

 

 

EDUCATIONAL HOUR. The meeting concluded with an explanation of IV-D welfare services. Please refer to the 19 minute audio CD on IV-D provided at the meeting for more information and/or clarification.

 

Meeting adjourned at 8:30pm

 

Announcements/ Services Available

Courtwatch – CPR advocates may be available to attend your hearing on your behalf. Advocates are identified by their green notebooks and can be a beneficial ally on your side. Email info@cpr-mn.org for more information or to volunteer to be an advocate.

 

Lobbying Meeting – how to lobby your legislators on these important issues. Diane Anderson and Dennis Schwecke will lead an informational meeting to educate attendees on the basics of lobbying the legislature. For more information, please contact Diane Anderson.

 

Brochures will be available on the website by the end of the year – they are available as email attachments. If you would like an electronic copy please let us know.

 

Volunteer Opportunities/Needs

q       Individual case committee – help individuals with their pending cases, coordinate court watch activities.

q       Individual to call members who do not have access to email with updates and information.

q       Alternately, donation of 50 postcard stamps (one month’s worth) in order to mail informational postcards to these members whom we are unable to reach via email.

q       Find pro se information on N.H. Bar Association website and share with CPR at next meeting in October.

 

RECAP Upcoming Meetings (see text above for details)

ü      Cost Shares BILL Strategy and Lobby Meeting: Thursday Oct. 2, 2003

ü      Cost Shares BILL Hearing: Thursday Oct 28, 2003 10 am – 12noon

ü      FREE mini-law Clinic with a lawyer: call for details if interested, Sept. 26, Sept 30, and 2 more after that

ü      FREE computer class (internet and email): to be announced

ü      FREE training class/how to lobby legislators: Thursday October 9, 2003 6:30 p.m.

ü      IV-D Eligibility BILL Strategy and Lobby Meeting: to be announced

ü      Joint Physical Custody BILL Strategy and Lobby Meeting: to be announced

 

You are receiving this email from CPR-MN because you have indicated interest in the group. If you would like to discontinue receiving these emails, please reply with “unsubscribe” in the email subject and your name will be removed from our list immediately. CPR-MN holds their membership information as very private information and will only use information for internal and informational purposes.

 

 


 

few suggestions

attendees: 30
Paula: rather than "challenging the constitutionality of terminating..." maybe "experience challenging the constitutional violations when the rights of fit parents are terminated"

cannons -- I think it is "canons" with one "n"

add a contact number of email for Jamil?

Sucess Stories:  maybe a little more ... like ..."Members shared how and why the CPR has been beneficial to them personally"

CPR Bill: instead of "non-need" "y" for "non-needy"

Diane: add contact information - can you ask her how she prefers to be contact - or what number she wants to include?

Cost Shares: maybe we could explain, cost shares will take the current child support obligation and split it between two parents, Smiths bill will dramatically increase the total support, increasing the financial burden for the non custodial parent. Smith prohibits private agreements between parents.

October meeting date: October 19, 5-8pm

thanks kirstin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! couldn't do it without you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't have this gift you have to summarize - great job!