Julie Johnson, President of MSS in St. Paul and Government Affairs Chair for MOHR, played a key advocacy role during the 2025 legislative session, focusing on building support for legislation aimed at improving workforce sustainability and service access across Minnesota.
One of the key priorities this session was advancing HF 382/SF 402, a bill that proposed necessary updates to Minnesota’s Disability Waiver Rate System. These changes target long-standing workforce shortages by adjusting the Competitive Workforce Factor and Supervisor Wage Factor, two components that directly influence provider organizations’ ability to hire and retain qualified staff. As providers across the state continue to struggle with vacancies and waitlists, this legislation aimed to ensure organizations have the financial stability needed to offer meaningful services and support.
Johnson testified in support of the bill in both the House and Senate, offering lawmakers critical insight into how funding gaps and staffing challenges affect real people: those receiving services, those waiting for them, and those doing the daily work to provide these services. Her testimony highlighted the urgency of supporting a system that allows individuals with disabilities to live, work, and thrive in their communities.
Beyond the hearing rooms, Johnson’s advocacy extended to meetings with legislators throughout the session. These conversations, especially with newer lawmakers, focused on being a resource for information on the real-world impacts of their decisions. She worked collaboratively to ensure the voices of providers and the people they support were part of the conversation.
While the final budget package did not fulfill every request from the disability services sector, Johnson is encouraged by the progress made. Preserving some inflationary adjustments will offer some relief to providers and help move toward closing the gap between service needs and available staffing. With these adjustments, hopefully organizations can begin addressing long-standing waitlists.
Throughout the session, Johnson emphasized the importance of proactive, ongoing advocacy not just during the legislative session, but year-round. She encourages disability service providers to continue educating local leaders, including legislators, county commissioners, city officials, and business partners, on the value and challenges of disability services in their communities. Johnson encourages providers to participate in MOHR’s upcoming Legislative Retreat. She believes these forums are critical for shaping the future of services in Minnesota offering a place to share stories, identify priorities, and develop strategies. She also praised the growing engagement among MOHR members, including strong turnouts at both Day at the Capitol and Mini-Day at the Capitol events. This increase in grassroots participation reflects a shared commitment across the sector to ensure that Minnesotans with disabilities are not left behind.
Julie Johnson’s leadership during the 2025 session exemplifies the essential role that advocacy plays in shaping public policy. We are proud to recognize and celebrate her work this session.
