Rep. Stauber weighs in on Medicaid, Macalester offering international students summer stay

Minnesota Today

At a roundtable Friday, 8th District Republican Minnesota Congressman Pete Stauber said Congressional Republicans will not cut Medicaid but, rather, work to make sure people are not abusing government help by implementing a work requirement for medical aid.

Some state lawmakers want to repeal a ban on seclusions for children in kindergarten through 3rd grade. Seclusions are forced isolations from the classroom. In Minnesota, 100 percent of children who are placed in seclusion have disabilities. Advocates for the repeal say educators need this option as a last resort, but disability rights supporters like DFL Rep. Kim Hicks argue seclusions don’t help anyone.

“We have to ask ourselves, do we really support people with disabilities and students with disabilities, if we will not stand up for the basic human right to not be locked in a box at six?” she said.

The state Department of Education recommends an "urgent end” to seclusion for all children by 2026.

Macalester College in St. Paul says it will house international students over the summer, in light of uncertain immigration rules.

In an announcement to students and staff this week, college President Suzanne Rivera said the school is worried about students not being able to get back into the country if visa rules change after they leave for the summer.

Go deeper with the latest edition of the Minnesota Today newsletter.

Macalester College offers free summer housing to international students with visa worries

Minnesota disabilities advocates push back on plan to restore school seclusion rooms

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