Minnesota Department of Health workers rally against Trump administration cuts
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Nearly 200 people, many of them Minnesota Department of Health employees, rallied against spending cuts to public health.
Many of them carried signs, emphasizing the importance of the behind-the-scenes work of public health employees like Amy Saupe, who has worked at the Minnesota Department of Health for 14 years.
“I just really worry about the future for Minnesota when we don’t have people with this kind of expertise in these positions who are really fighting for safe food and environment for Minnesotans,” Saupe said after the rally.
She’ll soon be laid off from the department’s infectious disease division. She said her last day is April 22.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
The Minnesota Department of Health is cutting 170 jobs because of the reduction in federal funding. A new state web portal tracks funding cuts under the Trump administration. The bulk of the cuts were designated for COVID-19 and responding to infectious disease.
Saupe and her colleagues said everyone’s health is at stake.
“That’s one of the reasons we’re trying to show what public health does behind the scenes for everyone,” Saupe said.
They want people to call their legislators and voice their concern about the funding cuts.
