How has my week been? It's been all: Yes, I’ll get my November #SNAP benefits. No, I won’t. Yes, maybe a bit. No, not at all. Yes, of course, because Minnesota is nice. No, wait a minute – will it get clawed back? Definitely read my latest blog! justinsmithwrites.com/2025/11/09/o...

Oh, #SNAP! It's one of the critical services I need to help me live my own independent life. justinsmithwrites.com/2025/11/02/o...

Not only does SNAP keep people from going hungry, it's another lifeline for people with disabilities, rural communities, and more! youtu.be/NzD4KQ1zIOc?...

Celebrate! 🎉At three minutes before eleven o’clock last night, in a big rush, I finished the first draft of the book I have been working on for the past year. #WritersLife #Writer #WritingCommunity #Booksky justinsmithwrites.com/2025/10/26/d...

I recently convened a panel of Minnesota's top healthcare experts to discuss how Trump's Big Ugly Law is harming Minnesotans' care and leading to hospital closures. In DC, I'll continue to oppose all Republican efforts to take away food, healthcare, and basic government services.

This happened! I spoke at Rep. McCollum's Listening Session about the impacts to Medicaid & our healthcare yesterday. Thanks @mccollum.house.gov for inviting me to share my story. Here's my testimony and the recording - justinsmithwrites.com/2025/09/25/t... #Medicaid #Disability #Healthcare

Share this post! #savemedicaid #disability @mccollum.house.gov @smith.senate.gov @amyklobuchar.com justinsmithwrites.com/2025/06/18/n...

“The need for care does not go away when funding gets decreased or disappears. It just means that those of us with disabilities and our families will struggle more than we already do.” says @justinsmithwrites.bsky.social www.startribune.com/minnesotans-... #Disability #DisabilityRights #Medicaid

Justin Smith is a 26-year-old Roseville resident who has cerebral palsy, and he relies on Medicaid and SNAP to live independently. President Trump’s Big Ugly Bill would rip away his health care and food assistance to give tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires.

WEMBLEY!!! @afcwimbledon1889.bsky.social #afcw #COYD

It has been a very stressful time in my life as of late and it was important to me that I share my story with ChangeWire. Check it out and please share with others! As I’ve said often of late, the fear is real! justinsmithwrites.com/2025/05/04/a... #Medicaid #Housing #SNAP #SSI #DisabilityRights

Thanks @bobbidempsey.bsky.social for sharing my son's story. “Between threatened cuts to services at both the federal & state levels, to put it bluntly, as a person with cerebral palsy, I’m beyond frightened,” says @justinsmithwrites.bsky.social. #Medicaid #SSI #SNAP changewire.org/100-day-chec...

Here's my great-great G'pa's Alien Enemy Registration Card from 1918 found tucked away in my great-great G'ma's German Bible a century later. He immigrated to the US in 1905, started a family business in 1912 that lasted almost a century. Can't believe the Alien Enemies Act is being used today!

I'm one of those lucky 1/4 of eligible who has a housing voucher to help pay rent for my wheelchair accessible apartment. Without it, I will be forced to move. @smith.senate.gov my life as I know it will fall apart if I don't have a housing voucher, SSI, Medicaid, and SNAP.

Medicaid = my healthcare and disability services that help me live in my community.

I have a disability and don't play video games all day... I depend on Medicaid to help me live in my community. I fell off Medicaid for 3 weeks this year because my county was behind in renewals. Who's going to be managing and overseeing all these new work requirements? #HandsOff #ProtectMedicaid

Guess where I was yesterday? Hanging out with about 25,000 energetic Minnesotans at our state capitol in St. Paul! @indivistwincities.bsky.social #HandsOff @50501movement.bsky.social @amyklobuchar.com @mccollum.house.gov @mn50501.bsky.social justinsmithwrites.com/2025/04/06/h...

Bringing the courage with my mom on Saturday! @indivistwincities.bsky.social

I know where I'm going to be on Saturday! Making my voice heard! Thanks @indivistwincities.bsky.social for providing the ADA accessibility information on indivisibletwincities.org/hands-off-ra...!

This is my hand and thankful for Medicaid for my healthcare and services that help me live in my community. Thanks @booker.senate.gov for fighting to #ProtectMedicaid Sidenote - I'm feeling much better and back home again!

Because of IDEA, I was included w/ my peers in my local school. This was my right! Before IDEA, I may not have been able to go to school – or would have been warehoused! Thanks @vgoodman.bsky.social & @americanprogress.bsky.social for this important reporting! justinsmithwrites.com/2025/03/16/t...

Here's what IDEA meant for me! Glad I live in #Minnesota, @governorwalz.mn.gov! justinsmithwrites.com/2025/03/16/t...

I have no idea how the cuts in the Department of Ed will impact students with disabilities, but expect current students will not have the educational opportunities and special education services I received. #IDEA #Disability justinsmithwrites.com/2025/03/16/t...

"...progress is at best incremental and contingent. And yet, lately I’ve been repeatedly startled about the re-emergence of old bad ideas, about how many hard-won victories are now revealed as tenuous and partial and illuminate the struggle ahead of us." Thanks for this @lollardfish.bsky.social

Thank god I was included in school and wasn't warehoused. I even ended up giving one of the speeches at my high school graduation using my communication device. Protect special education! #Disability #IDEA www.threads.net/@timwalz/pos...

Remember that time that I said I was frightened? It all feels very heavy right now. I feeling like I'm in a horror movie and it’s not going to end well for me or my friends with disabilities. #ProtectSocialSecurity #Disability justinsmithwrites.com/2025/02/06/f...

Scary situation at SSA: “Millions of Americans could soon feel the impact of the deep staffing cuts being planned at the Social Security Administration, which is undergoing a massive reorganization …being steered by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.” www.cnn.com/2025/03/08/p...

⏰ FULL-TIME: A BIG THREE POINTS FOR DONS - 2-0! 🫡 #AFCW 🟡🔵

This happened to me when gov sent an extra stimulus check that I then returned. It took a bit for them to process the check so I had over $2000 asset limit so I could cover that & rent. If the whole amount of $943/mo SSI is withheld instead of 10% while working through appeals... needless cruelty.

Of course, I'm up at 6:30 am in Minnesota watching the men in yellow and blue! #AFCW

Here's what I had to say about need for more accessible, affordable housing in MN in 2022. There's a huge shortage of housing that works for people with disabilities! Trump cuts are a disaster! #Disabilities #Housing justinsmithwrites.com/2022/02/05/h...

Anyone working on providing captions on videos posted in BlueSky? Or am I just missing how to get captions on posted videos? I have hearing loss and could really use those captions! #A11y #Accessibility #Disability

"Who is going to help me when 50% of the Social Security workforce is gone? @petermorley.bsky.social I need SSI to help me live in my community! Thanks for all you do Peter in making our stories and voices heard! #ScrapTheCap

The @mprnews.org+ Starter Pack now includes data journalists @egawthrop.bsky.social and @alyclary.bsky.social from our sister organization @apmresearchlab.org. They use data and visualizations to make great journalism in Minnesota and across the country. Check out the full list: go.bsky.app/UaGFUu1

I'm an everyday American who relies on Medicaid for my healthcare and caregivers that help me live in my community. Keep fighting to #ProtectMedicaid @mccollum.house.gov @votebetty.bsky.social

The writing is on the wall and it says “REPUBLICANS ARE COMING FOR MEDICAID”

Thanks for this piece @lollardfish.bsky.social - "When it comes to work, communication, education and health care, not to mention basic human dignity, the Trump administration is ready to abandon kids like my son." They're abandoning us disabled adults, too... It's beyond scary!

I live on SSI/Medicaid/SNAP/Housing Voucher. My grandparents live on Social Security and Medicare. Thanks for fighting for us, Representative Al Green! #ProtectMedicaid #ProtectSocialSecurity #ProtectSNAP #ProtectAllTheStuff #Disability

Saw FINNEAS at the Fillmore Minneapolis last week - the show and accessibility at the venue were awesome! #Accessibility #LiveMusic justinsmithwrites.com/2025/03/02/a...

I'm currently 40k words into the #romance #mystery book! #WritingCommunity And don't forget to check out my post about #Medicaid. justinsmithwrites.com/2025/02/23/h...

Thanks @petermorley.bsky.social! Please make your voices heard! These proposed cuts are cruel and will hurt very real people like me with disabilities, my grandparents, and so many others. #ProtectMedicaid #Disability justinsmithwrites.com/2025/02/23/h...

Well, here we go again. Cuts to Medicaid are going to hurt very real people, like me! Now is not the time to sit back and wait to see what happens – make your voice heard. #ProtectMedicaid #Disability @mccollum.house.gov justinsmithwrites.com/2025/02/23/h...

I feel like I'm in a horror movie and it’s not going to end well for me or others with disabilities. Here are the services currently under threat that I need to live my life: SSI, Medicaid, SNAP & a Section 8 housing voucher. I'm a human being not a parasite! justinsmithwrites.com/2025/02/06/f...

My life as I’m currently living it, that I’ve worked so hard at pulling together, feels as if it could implode. #Disability #DisabilityRights @governorwalz.mn.gov @bettymccollum04.bsky.social @smith.senate.gov @amyklobuchar.com justinsmithwrites.com/2025/02/06/f...

current book I'm writing is at 25k words. #WritingCommunity

I'm new here! I read, write, and blog about living my life. Want to know about how I'm feeling about living with a #Disability and the next 4 years? Read my latest justinsmithwrites.com/2024/11/17/w...