CDCAN LogoAdvocacy Without Borders: Connecting People With Disabilities, Mental Health Needs, Seniors, Traumatic Brain & other injuries, People with MS & other health needs,  Families, Workers, Providers, & Organizations to Rights & Unified Action
 California Disability Community Action Network
DISABILITY RIGHTS NEWS REPORT
 Report #051-2007  April 19, 2007 - Thursday
To respond reply to: martyomoto@rcip.com   CDCAN website:  www.cdcan.us

Prayers & Thoughts to Victims, Survivors & Families of Virginia Tech

BREAKING NEWS
* SENATE BUDGET SUBCOMMITTEE REJECTS IHSS FUNDING FREEZE PROPOSAL
* VOTES 2-1 TO DEFEAT GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL - FOLLOWS ASSEMBLY ACTION
* APPROVES GOV'S PROPOSAL TO FULLY FUND SSI/SSP 2008 COST OF LIVING

SACRAMENTO  -  With the hearing room packed with advocates, people with disabilities, seniors and workers, the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Subcommittee #3 on Health, Human Services, Labor and Veteran Affairs today (April 19) voted 2-1 to reject the Governor's proposal to freeze the level of State funding for In-Home Supportive Services worker wages and benefits, and also voted 2-1 to approve the Governor's proposal to fully fund SSI/SSP  (Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Payment) cost of living increases that go into effect January 1, 2008.   The Senate Budget Subcommittee action follows an identical action taken by its counterpart in the Assembly last week on April 11th (see below).  With both houses rejecting the Governor's proposal, the issue - at least for the time being - is dead.   (More details coming! A full CDCAN Report on the hearing will be released in a few hours today (or can be viewed at the CDCAN website at www.cdcan.us )

Both Democrats Reject Governor's Proposal - WIth The Republican Member Opposing
Sen. Elaine Alquist (Democrat - San Jose, 13th District), subcommittee chair, and and Sen. Alex Padilla (Democrat - Pacoima, 20th DIstrict) voted to reject the Governor's IHSS funding freeze proposal, and vote to approve the Governor's proposal to fully fund SSI/SSP cost of living increases.  Sen. Dave Cogdill (Republican - Modesto, 14th District) voted no on both action items. 

Hearing Room Packed - Dozens Testify
The subcommittee heard from nearly 40 persons - including IHSS workers, persons with disabilities, (including developmental), seniors, and other individuals and organizations, in opposition to the Governor's proposal that advocates say would have the impact of freezing wages and benefits and result in loss of workers for thousands of people who need IHSS.
A smaller number also testified in support of funding cost of living increases scheduled to take effect January 1, 2008 for SSI/SSP grants. Advocates - who opposed the Governor's IHSS funding freeze proposal, praised his proposed budget that includes money to fully those increases though expressed concern about possible cuts to those grants in May when the revisions to the proposed budget are released.

Assembly Previously Rejected Governor's IHSS Funding Freeze Proposal April 11th
* The April 11th Assembly Budget Subcommittee vote on the IHSS budget issue  was a stunning rejection of Schwarzenegger Administration because  neither of the subcommittee's two Republicans - both conservatives -  voted to support the Governor's plan.  Assemblymember Bill Maze (Republican - Visalia, 34th District)  voted to abstain as he wanted to keep the issue open until the Governor submits revisions in May to his proposed budget for 2007-2008 - but even Maze, a conservative Republican, expressed reservations about the Governor's proposal. 
* Assemblymember John Benoit (Republican - Riverside, 64th District) either voted with the Democrats to oppose the Governor's proposal or withheld his vote as Maze did (during the hearing, as CDCAN reported earlier, it sounded and appeared that Benoit voted "aye" - though later unofficial committee records seem to indicate he either abstained or did not vote (though he was present). 
* The Assembly subcommittee did not hear SSI/SSP or Cash Assistance for Immigrants Program issues, which it will hear on May 2.  The Governor's current budget proposal does not contain any reductions to SSI/SSP - though advocates are worried that the revisions that come out to the proposed budget in May by the Governor may contain cuts in the form of extending suspension of the State cost of living portion of the grants.

Contributions URGENTLY Needed To Continue
The California Disability Community Action Network is a non-partisan link to tens of thousands of Californians in every community, including people of color, people of every type of disability, including people with physical disabilities, people with developmental and other disabilities, people with traumatic brain and other injures, people with mental health needs, seniors, people with MS, Alzheimer's and others, and all of their families, community organizations and providers, direct care and other workers, and other advocates. These action alerts and news reports, townhall telemeetings and other projects is for all of them.

To continue the CDCAN website, the CDCAN News Reports.  sent out and read by over 45,000 people and organizations, policy makers and media across California and to continue the CDCAN "Advocacy WIthout Borders Townhall Telemeetings" which since December 2003 have connected thousands of people with disabilities, seniors, mental health needs, people with MS and other disorders, people with traumatic brain and other injuries to public policy makers, legislators, and issues. Please send your contribution/donation (make payable to "CDCAN" or "California Disability Community Action Network):

CDCAN 
1225 8th Street Suite 480
Sacramento, CA 95814
or go to the CDCAN website at www.cdcan.us and click on "DONATE TO CDCAN" to contribute using credit card via Paypal.
 

The CDCAN Townhall Telemeetings are partially funded by a small grant from the USC UCEDD, Grant #90DD0540 from the Administration on Developmental Disabilities. (note: the opinions expressed or content in these reports do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the USC UCEDD. 

MANY THANKS to Training Toward Self Reliance, UCP, California NAELA, Californians for Disability Rights, Inc (CDR) including CDR chapters, CHANCE Inc, Parents Helping Parents, Arriba, Strategies To Empower People, Parents Helping Parents, Asian American parents groups, Resources for Independent Living and many other Independent Living Centers, several regional centers, People First chapters, IHSS workers, other self advocacy and family support groups, developmental center families, and hundreds of individuals.