Agriculture and Rural Communities
Our state must do more to improve the vitality of rural communities. JRLC endorses programs to assist beginning farmers, to support sustainable agriculture, to build infrastructure of local agricultural markets, and to ensure that rural communities have full access to education, transportation, and telecommunication resources. (See JRLC’s Gifts of the Earth, 2000.)

Criminal Justice
We support restoration of funding for public defenders to ensure equal justice under the law. We endorse funding ffamily supports and restorative justice initiatives that hold offenders accountable yet enable reintegration. The right to vote should be restored to persons with felony convictions upon release from prison or jail.

We support automatic expungement of arrest records for non-person crimes when proceedings are resolved in favor of the arrestee.

JRLC will oppose any effort to reinstate capital punishment in Minnesota. (See JRLC’s Felon Voting Rights, 2008 and Crime and Justice in Minnesota, 1992.)

Early Care and Education
Minnesota should fully fund child care assistance programs that allow children to spend their earliest years in stimulating, nurturing environments where they can learn, thrive, and prepare for success in school and life.

We support quality early education for every child, making sure that all our children are ready to begin kindergarten on an even footing. (See JRLC’s Childcare Assistance, 2005.)

Economic Security
JRLC supports initiatives that enhance earnings for low-income Minnesotans. We support an increase in the minimum wage so that every full-time worker can, at a minimum, earn a poverty-level income for a family of three, about $8.80/hour.

We support an emergency jobs program, using wage subsidies to spur employment, especially in communities where unemployment is the highest.

We should simplify and expand Minnesota’s Working Family Credit to make sure earnings can secure basic needs. (See JRLC’s Minimum Wage, 2005 and Taxes and Justice in Minnesota, 1992.)

Environmental Stewardship
We must protect the integrity of creation and our public health by ensuring the quality of the natural environment and food sources. We must continue to invest in clean, renewable energy and reduce emission of greenhouse gases. (See JRLC’s Ecology Positions, 1997.)

Gambling
We oppose the expansion of gambling or increased state reliance on gambling proceeds. (See JRLC’s No Expansion of State-Authorized Gambling, 2005.)

Health Care
Minnesota must move swiftly toward a common, universal coverage system by expanding public and private programs, mandating comprehensive insurance coverage (including mental health and dental), and adopting risk-pooling and publicly sponsored financing to make sure every Minnesotan receives the health care they need. (See JRLC’s Health Care and Justice in Minnesota, 2008.)

Housing and Healthy Neighborhoods
Our state can play a strong role in supporting safe towns and neighborhoods, free of both environmental pollution and crime, where all families have access to clean air and water, and where children can play outside free of fear.

We support appropriations to operate supportive housing programs to address and prevent homelessness.

We support the rehabilitation and development of affordable housing, especially targeting individuals and families under 30% of the median income. Housing must be free of lead, mercury, and other toxic substances that affect children more adversely than adults. We support legislation that protects consumers from predatory lending practices. (See JRLC’s The Faithful City, 1999.)

Hunger
We must ensure that SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps) benefits and WIC programs are accessible to all who need them. We support programs that provide easier access to healthy foods and nutrition programs for children and their families. (See JRLC’s Justice for All: Confronting Hunger in Minnesota, 1997.)

Impartial Judiciary
JRLC recommends that the state’s constitution be amended to allow for the following method for selecting judges to the district and appellate courts: merit nominations by a merit selection commission; gubernatorial appointment from a list of candidates prepared by the commission; performance evaluation by a performance evaluation commission; retention elections by the public. (See JRLC’s Selecting Impartial Judges, 2008.)

Poverty
JRLC supports the repair of the wage floor, expansion of earnings through tax credits, and greater subsidies for child care. We support a community-based, comprehensive public benefit outreach and enrollment system. We support the removal of most asset-tests and urge the creation of asset development accounts. Minnesota should also adopt a clear set of benchmarks by which we can measure progress toward ending poverty. (See JRLC’s Public Assistance, 1997.)

Tax Policy
The state must raise sufficient revenue to fund social infrastructure, education, and basic human needs. Tax reforms are needed to make our state-local system progressive. (See JRLC’s Taxes and Justice in Minnesota, 1992.