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End Poverty by 2020 
Ladder Out of Poverty
In January 2009 the Legislative Commission to End Poverty by 2020 issued its final report, which recommended helping low-income Minnesotans accumulate and retain assets and increase their financial literacy.
This cornerstone of the report, the Ladder Out of Poverty Task Force, would be led by elected officials and executive branch representatives. Its task would be to increase opportunities for low-income families to build wealth, expand the utilization of the Family Assets for Independence in Minnesota (FAIM), reduce or eliminate predatory financial practices in Minnesota and provide financial literacy information to certain low-income families.
Poverty Impact Statements
A second recommendation is that Minnesota develops a tool that will measure the impact on poverty that emerging legislation might have. These statements would be a means for the legislature to determine whether proposed legislation would increase, decrease or maintain the number of Minnesotans living in poverty. It would give policymakers information about the effectiveness of competing proposals and assist them in making informed choices.
As a start, it is recommended that policymakers call for poverty impact statements on a limited number of proposed bills in the next couple of years, in order to allow a real and credible methodology to be developed.
Legislative Priorities:
- Pass the Ladders Out of Poverty Task Force legislation
- Pass the Poverty Impact Statement
Become an advocate for people living in poverty.
For more information, visit the Legislative Commission to End Poverty's site: http://www.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/lcep/
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