While the Minnesota government shutdown plods on, social service groups have been begging to have their funding restored. And some have gotten their wish.
While the state's food shelves had their funding quickly restored earlier in the week, a judge gave the go-ahead for several more programs for low-income and vulnerable Minnesotans to receive funding to stay afloat. Money for state and federal special-education will also continue, the Pioneer Press reports.
Services that didn't make the cut? Programs such as The Arc Minnesota, which helps disabled people find housing.
Last week, shutdown spending was limited to "critical core government functions." But a number of social services met before Kathleen Blatz, the former state Supreme Court chief justice charged with budget decisions amid the shutdown, to ask for money, the Associated Press reports. She told one nonprofit group:
"It's not a comment on the value of your services. It goes to the limits of the court's power."
Those making their case included advocates for sexual assault victims, police officers, prosecutors and hospital officials, who begged for their services to continue Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton had created a list of services he considered "critical" and wanted to see funded despite the shutdown, according to MinnPost.
The list included such services as HIV case-management and counseling for special education, chemical dependency, mental health, child care assistance and victims of crime and violence.