Legislative Action Alert - February 22, 2010
Good afternoon friend of the DLC,
Week 4 clarified the budget picture. All in all, things could have been much worse. As you will recall, legislative leadership directed the appropriations subcommittees to make recommendations for cutting their budgets by 5%. This was under the assumption that revenues could be as much as $100 million less than had been projected. Fortunately, the shortfall was only $50 million. Basically, the subcommittees cut more than necessary. Now, the trick is convincing the Executive Appropriations Committee to use that money to restore some of the proposed cuts rather than stashing it away for future use.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, each of the appropriations subcommittees presented their budget recommendations to the Executive Appropriations Committee. For the most part, they remain as I outlined last week. If you are interested in a specific department, division, program, or service, the full list of recommendations can be found at http://www.le.state.ut.us/
The DLC is particularly interested in the possibility of additional funding for community mental health centers, Adult Protective Services, community beds for youth in the custody of Juvenile Justice Services, and assistive technology provided through the independent living centers.
As for legislation, there are 3 pieces of note. First, Rep. Ray's HB 196 which increases the cigarette tax will be heard on the floor sometime early next week. Several amendments have been proposed which attempt to direct some of the potential revenue to critical health and human service programs, including home and community-based supports for individuals who are aging and persons with disabilities. Please contact your representative and ask him or her to support these efforts.
Second, Sen. Christensen's SB 213, which reestablishes the DSPD board, on the Senate consent calendar either Monday or Tuesday. Please thank Sen. Christensen for all his hard work on this bill. Rep. Menlove is the House sponsor.
Third, last week I included a link to our fact sheet on Sen. Dayton's SB 160, which makes it easier for individuals to enter the Utah State Developmental Center. It has become clear that there is confusion about what the legislation does and why it is a bad idea. Later, I will be sending out a request for signatures on a letter to senators and representatives explaining the community's concerns and asking them to oppose the bill. If you are interested in these or other bills, please check out the latest version of our bill tracker http://www.disabilitylawcenter.org/legislative-advocacy-10/billtracker10.pdf.
I hope that is it for now. Please keep telling your elected officials how important these programs and services are to you, your family, or your friends. We can do more and we can do it better. You have done a great job so far. Keep up the good work! If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. As always, thank you for your interest and support,
Andrew Riggle
Public Policy Advocate
1-800-662-9080 (Voice) or 1-800-550-4182 (TTY)
801-557-9182 (Mobile)
ariggle@disabilitylawcenter.org