"Its real people that GAMC is affecting"

I joined Alison (in only my second trip to the capital!) yesterday to attend a committee meeting on GAMC. The meeting looked at legislation to help preserve the GAMC program. There were more then a few guest speakers present to help emphasize the adverse affects cutting this program will have in Minnesota.

The Chief of Police for Hennepin County started off the meeting by outlining the number of calls they receive concerning individuals who are homeless and on GAMC. He talked about the current problem and how much it will get worse once the program is cut. When people who depend on medication to remain stable, no longer take those medications because they can’t afford them, serious public safety concerns start surfacing.

The officer was followed by a representative from the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless. She briefly outlined the impact GAMC has on the lives of people who depend on it and what it will mean to those people when the program is no longer is available. After an introduction, she gave up the floor to individuals who are actually using the GAMC program and let them tell their stories to the committee.

All of them depend on GAMC to access their medications. Several of the individuals have completed professional levels of education and are still struggling to find shelter and pay their medical bills. There were four veterans present, all of whom depend on GAMC, and one young woman currently enrolled in college! It really goes to show the wide range of people this program helps, and also shows who stands to loose medical care when the program runs our of funding.

Discussions concerning the funding of proposed legislation followed.

Overall the meeting was over-packed (we had to sit on the floor!) and emotionally charged. More then one Senator, and much of the audience, could be seen with a tear in their eye during the testimonies of the individuals currently on GAMC. As Senator Lynch said after the testimonies, “you’re putting a face to the program…its real people that GAMC is affecting”.