Schwarzenegger says proposal to suspend Lanterman and cut services "A mistake on my part."

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted in a press conference early today that his initial proposals to suspend the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, and to cut services for people with developmental disabilities "...was a mistake on my part".

Yesterday late afternoon, the Schwarzenegger Administration leaked stunning news that he would rescind the proposed cuts to services to people with developmental disabilities, including respite - and rescind his proposed suspension of the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, caseload caps and waiting lists for regional center services.

The status of the proposed elimination of In-Home Supportive Services residual program, which employs parents or spouses to assist loved ones to remain in their own homes is uncertain, but appears to be still on the table for consideration. The status of the other proposed cuts - including caseload caps and waiting lists for other health and human service programs including Healthy Families apparently remain - though that is not entirely clear.

However, what is clear is that the Governor reversed himself completely on the suspension of the landmark Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act and the elimination of "non-core" regional center programs and services including respite, caseload caps and waiting lists and are no longer under consideration.

"That was a decision that was made because I am a big believer of in that program," the Governor said in response to a reporter's question about his reversal, saying that " I've worked with the developmentally disabled. I've worked with Special Olympics for many years. It's one of those things that slipped through when you make decisions that quickly. You have to understand that everything I do here is kind of like ten times as fast as other Governors had the chance to do it, because of the short period. So I had to make decisions - its was one of those things out of a thousand decisions that you make - one of them slipped through like that."

The Republican Governor said he realized it was a mistake a few days later. Schwarzenegger said that no other additional cuts were made to other programs or services to make up for reversal.

The Governor refused to give any details on what other cuts or adjustments would need to be made as a result of reversing himself on the cuts to services for people with developmental disabilities, and also for providing the funding to local governments.

Disability and other advocates fear cuts to other programs and services that impact people with developmental and other disabilities. Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Kim Belshé said that she could not promise that there would be no cuts to services for people with developmental disabilities.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

• The Governor's reversal means that the Lanterman Act - at least officially - will not be suspended - a proposal that outraged people with disabilities and families and other advocates. The landmark Lanterman Act, considered by advocates as the civil rights act for people with developmental disabilities, was authored by Republican Assemblyman Frank Lanterman, passed by a Republican controlled Legislature in September 1969 and signed into law by then Governor Ronald Reagan. Since the enactment close to 35 years ago, no governor or legislature has ever called for the official suspension until Governor Schwarzenegger proposed it on on November 24.
• The reversal means that - at least for now - the respite services and other regional center "non-core" services that the Governor originally proposed for elimination is off the chopping block.
• It appears - though this is not certain - that proposals to eliminate In-Home Supportive Services residual program, the 10% additional Medi-Cal provider rate reduction, and the caseload cap and waiting lists for other health service programs including Healthy Families are still being considered and were not withdrawn.
• It is not certain if the Governor's 2004-2005 budget he will submit to the Legislature on or before January 10 will contain other cuts or savings to programs to health and human services or how he will bridge the huge budget shortfall without major deep spending cuts or raising taxes.

NEXT STEPS

• GOVERNOR
  • Held a brief press conference announcing emergency funding to local governments - and also three questions regarding his reversal of cutting programs for people with developmental disabilities and the suspension of the Lanterman Act.
  • He must submit a proposed budget for 2004-2005 on or before January 10th as required by the state constitution. That budget proposal will contain the reversal of his mid-year spending cuts that impacted people with developmental disabilities including rescinding his proposal to suspend the Lanterman Act.
  • The Governor will address the legislature in a joint session to give his first "State of the State" on January 6th, Tuesday at 5:00 PM, where he will give hints and outlines of what his budget plan will look like.
• SENATE
  • The Senate is not in session, adjourning on Friday. The Senate is not expected to return to Sacramento until January.
  • The Senate held two informational hearings on the Governor's proposed mid-year spending cuts (which included the Lanterman Act suspension) on December 10th at the State Capitol, which drew thousands of protestors, and also in Los Angeles, which also drew a huge crowd of protestors. No action was taken at either hearing.
• ASSEMBLY
  • The Assembly is not in session, adjourning on Thursday last week and is not expected to return until January. The Assembly did not hold any hearings or take any action on any of the Governor's proposed mid-year spending cuts.

WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES DO?

• Continue organizing and advocacy efforts - though a change in tactics will be need to be reviewed. People with disabilities and their families, community and others should participate in the December 19 10:00 AM to 11:45 AM Statewide Town Hall Telemeeting linking possibly over 20 sites and 200 people across the state via conference phone line to strategize on the budget impact to people with disabilities; plan next steps. The deadline to submit your name and site (must have at least 6 other people join you) to participate is Thursday noon (12/18). Send your request to martyomoto@rcip.com or call Marty Omoto at (916) 446-0013. Those who have submitted requests up to Wednesday evening have been accepted - and details, phone number and passcode will be sent to all locations Thursday morning.
• Nothing is ever definite or certain in a budget crisis as bad as what California is in now - so pressure from other groups (education for instance) or a down turn in projected revenues could result in changes back to some of the major cuts that were originally proposed.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS REPORT

• This is a NON-PARTISAN online REPORT of the non-partisan California Disability Community Action Network, a link to thousands of Californians with developmental and other disabilities, their families, community organizations and providers, direct care and other workers, and other advocates. These reports (formerly the CA UCP Capitol Reports) are for all of them.
• If you would like to get on this distribution (and conversely, get off of it) please send an email with that request to: martyomoto@rcip.com. Sharing information is part of our organizing effort. Please feel free to forward or copy this (attribution is nice). We're all in this together!