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DISABILITY RIGHTS NEWS REPORT
Advocacy Without Borders: Connecting People With Disabilities, Mental Health Needs, Seniors, Traumatic Brain & other injuries, People with MS & other health needs, including People of color, different languages, cultures,  Families, Workers, Providers, & Organizations to Rights & Unified Action

REMEMBERING SHIRLEY KLEIN WHO DIED AT AGE 74
Report #065-2007  May 6, 2007 Sunday
To respond to this email, reply to: martyomoto@rcip.com   CDCAN website: www.cdcan.us


California State Budget
* Budget Hearings on Developmental Services May 7th and May 9th
* Special Education Due Process Contract & State Special Schools 5/8
* Other Budget Issues Impacting People With Disabilities & Seniors
* Governor's Announcement of Budget Revisions May 14th

SACRAMENTO -  
With budget subcommittees in both houses nearly finished with their initial review of the Governor's proposed budget for 2007-2008 as it was submitted January 10, 2007, several hearings are scheduled this week covering critical funding issues that advocates say are critical to the rights of people with disabilities and seniors.  Meanwhile Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to release changes and other revisions to his proposed State budget, on May 14 - sometimes referred to as the "May Revision" or "May Revise".  Hearing dates are always subject to last minute changes. 

Regional Centers and Developmental Centers - And Also Special Ed and State Special Schools
* One hearing will likely draw interest from advocates for people with developmental disabilities is the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, chaired by Assemblymember Patty Berg (Democrat - 1st District, Eureka) covering several regional center issues and at least one developmental center issue under the Department of Developmental Services budget that were on the April 11th agenda but not heard due to time. 
* The Department of Developmental Services "open items" is also on the Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health, Human Services, Labor and Veteran Affairs agenda to hear on May 7, Monday afternoon upon adjournment of the Senate Floor session (Senate convenes at 12 noon on Monday, so the subcommittee would meet after that whenever the floor session adjourns).
* Also set this week are budget issues impacting special education due process contract and State Special Schools on May 8th and also budget items impacting Department of Health Care Services, Public Health and other health or medical related agencies.
* Go to the CDCAN website for any agendas at www.cdcan.us

NEXT STEPS
* Subcommittees wrap up initial budget hearings on issues not heard or left open this week from the Governor's January 10th proposed budget.
* Governor releases changes and revisions to his proposed State Budget on May 14 (called the "May Revision" or "May Revise")
* Budget subcommittees schedule hearings that week and the following week to hear and take public testimony only on new items proposed by the Governor in the revised version of the State Budget proposal. 
* Subcommittees will take final action on items already heard but previously but kept "open" waiting for the release of the Governor's changes and revisions. By the end of May, the subcommittee part of the budget process should be completed. 
* Early June - Budget conference committee - composed of members of both houses, will be appointed and begin meeting and resolving any differences in actions taken by the two houses.  This could mean one house finally agreeing with the action of the other or both houses compromising and agreeing on a new action for a particular budget issue. 
* Those actions taken in previous months that both houses agreed on would normally not be issues before the conference committee. This would include the Governor's proposal to fully fund or pass on the cost of living increases scheduled for January 1, 2008 for SSI/SSP (Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Payment) which both houses approved in April and May; and also rejection of the Governor's proposal to freeze the State's contribution (or portion) of State funding for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) worker wages and benefits - which both houses rejected in April. 
* June 15 - technically the State Constitutional deadline for the Legislature to pass a budget and send it to the Governor , a deadline that has been met only five times since 1965.  The last time the Legislature met that deadline was for the 1986-1987 State Budget year (June 15, 1986). 
* June 30 -last day of the State Budget year for 2006-2007 (last year the Legislature passed and sent a budget to the Governor on June 27, 2006)
* July 1 - start of the 2007-2008 State Budget Year

BUDGET HEARINGS THIS WEEK
Following are budget hearings this week that may have some significant or indirect impact on children and adults with disabilities, seniors, people with mental health needs, families, workers and others.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES RELATED BUDGET HEARINGS

May 7, 2007 - Monday

Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health, Human Services, Labor and Veteran Affairs
Upon adjournment of Senate Floor Session which is scheduled to convene at 12:00 noon
State Capitol - Room 3191
All "open" items meaning issues not decided or not heard in a previous hearing
* Emergency Medical Services Authority (budget item 4120)
* Department of Health Care Services (budget item 4260) [formerly Dept. of Health Services]
* Department of Public Health (budget item 4265)
* California Medical Assistance Commission (budget item 4270)
* Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (budget item 4280)
* Department of Developmental Services (budget item 4300)
* Department of Mental Health (budget item 4440)

May 7, 2007 - Monday  
Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services
4:00 PM - State Capitol - Room 127
All "open" items meaning issues not decided or not heard in a previous hearing
* Department of Managed Health Care (budget item 2400)
* Emergency Medical Services Authority (budget item 4120)
* Department of Health Care Services (budget item 4260) [formerly Dept. of Health Services]
* Department of Public Health (budget item 4265)
* California Medical Assistance Commission (budget item 4270)
* Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (budget item 4280)

May 9, 2007 - Wednesday   ****see CDCAN Alert****
Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services
1:30 PM - State Capitol - Room 444
Note: subcommittee will hear "open" items - meaning issues not decided or not heard in a previous hearing
* Department of Developmental Services (budget item 4300)
* Department of Child Support Services (budget item 5175)
* Department of Social Services (budget item 5180)
* Department of Rehabilitation (budget item 5160)

EDUCATION RELATED BUDGET HEARINGS


May 8, 2007 - Tuesday
Assembly Budget Subcommittee #2 on Education Finance
10:00 AM - State Capitol - Room 444
Department of Education  (budget item 6110)
* Instructional Materials
* California High School Exit Exam
* Alternative schools fiscal issues
* Translations and language access - Department of Finance April Letter
Other budget items and open issues

May 8, 2007 - Tuesday
Senate Budget Subcommittee #1 on Education
01:30 AP - State Capitol - Room 113
Department of Education  (budget item 6110 and 6870)
* Proposition 98 Update by Legislative Analyst Office
* Home to School Transportation FUnding Shift (April letter from Governor's Department of Finance)
Office the Secretary for Education (budget item 0558)
* School transparency website
Department of Education (budget item 6110)
State Operations
* State Special Schools
* Special Education Due Process Contract
* other issues


REMEMBERING SHIRLEY KLEIN -  TWO POEMS
[CDCAN Note: I will include other selections of her poems in my tribute to Shirley and post on the CDCAN website]

Signing of the ADA (Dedicated to my father, William Klein, who died the next day)
By Shirley Klein


When the last pen stroke died
my father slept assured
that promises would finally open their front doors to me
which I could enter on ramped opportunities
into broad hallways
that no longer held the tyranny UPSTAIRS,
- that I could see the splendor of Beethoven
or feel the texture of Michaelangelo;;
- that I could read the voice of a distant child
or hear the softness in my lover's eyes
or type the answer to my mother's touch
- that my learning would be measured by my will
and not by barbed numbers
- that my wheels could take flight to open adventures
or ride the rails of access through the beauty of my land
Yes, my father could finally rest
After the pen parted the waters
And he saw me to the shore
That had eluded us so long


Published 1993 - Seedlings

Our Voices United 
by Shirley Klein (written for a CDCAN organized rally of over 4,500 people in 2003 in response to then Governor Davis' major proposed budget cuts - this poem has been posted on the CDCAN website for years]  

Our voices united,
The peril undone
We stand tall together,
But we've only begun.

Our freedoms are threatened,
Our lives on the line
We don't have tomorrow, 
Today is our time.

Let our unity thunder,
Till power and greed
Both crumple before,
The depth of our need.

Let our unity Clamor,
For all who have died
Because no one would hear them, 
Or come to their side

The whole world is watching,
To see where we stand
The whole world is waiting,
Come on - take my hand

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 
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Sacramento, CA 95814
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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 Manteca CAPS, 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.