CDCAN REPORT #033-2011: Nearly 200 testify before Assembly Budget Subcommittee on regional center proposed $750 million cut

Prayers and Thoughts to Mary O’Riordan and her Family for the loss of their son Michael Who Lived At Sonoma Developmental Center

State Budget Crisis:

• SEVERAL HUNDREDS PACK HEARING ROOM , OVERFLOW ROOMS AND HALLWAYS AT STATE CAPITOL FOR REGIONAL CENTER ASSEMBLY SUBCOMMITTEE BUDGET HEARING
• LARGEST CROWDS FOR A BUDGET HEARING IN RECENT YEARS AS NEARLY 200 TESTIFY IN ALMOST 6 HOUR HEARING STRONGLY OPPOSING GOVERNOR’S PROPOSAL FOR $750 MILLION REDUCTION IN STATE GENERAL FUND SPENDING TO REGIONAL CENTERS AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES

SACRAMENTO, CALIF  (CDCAN) [Updated 02/04/2011 – 04:00 AM  (Pacific Time) –  Several hundreds of children and adults with developmental disabilities, family members, support workers, representatives  of community organizations, facilities, regional centers filled to capacity the hearing rooms, overflow rooms, and packed the hallways solid from the hearing room entrance to the elevator area at the State Capitol Thursday (February 3rd) for the Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services hearing on the Governor’s proposed $750 million reduction in State general fund spending for regional centers, and also other developmental services budget issues.

Assemblymember Holly Mitchell (Democrat – Los Angeles) and other subcommittee members were clearly stunned at the huge size of the capacity crowd already in the hearing room and balcony seating, with hundreds still lined up to get in or waiting in overflow rooms in other areas of the State Capitol.  Those attending the hearing and testifying praised Assemblymember Mitchell on how she handled the hearing, which ran smoothly – including her strict one minute time limit for each person giving public testimony, which allowed everyone who wanted to speak the opportunity to do so.

[See separate CDCAN Report on what happened at this hearing and also the Assembly Budget Subcommittee hearing on regional centers,  later on today and new CDCAN Action Alert for February 10th Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services hearing on regional centers (developmental services), at 09:30 AM (or upon adjournment of State Senate floor session) at the State Capitol in Room 4203]

Also held virtually at the same time, across the hall, was the Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services which heard the Governor’s sweeping cuts to the In-home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, proposed elimination of the Multipurpose Senior Services Program (MSSP), and the proposed cut of the SSI/SSP monthly individual grants to the lowest level allowed by the federal government.

About 150-200 people – including IHSS workers, and some people who came over from the regional center budget hearing, attend the Senate hearing.

That number however was significantly smaller than the enormous crowd of several hundreds who were lined up packing the hallways and overflow rooms once the main hearing room and balcony were filled to capacity for the Assembly budget subcommittee hearing on regional center budget issues, including the Governor’s proposed cut of $750 million in state general fund spending.

The Assembly budget subcommittee hearing, which began at 10:00 AM, lasted nearly six hours, was the largest show of force for a budget hearing at the State Capitol in recent years. The enormous size of the crowd created a buzz in the Capitol from some legislators and legislative staffers, walking through the hallway, who expressed amazement at the sheer numbers that at several points jammed the entire main hallway from the hearing room entrance to the elevators at the other end of the long wide hall way.

Outside the State Capitol, some of the people with developmental disabilities, family members and other advocates protested outside, carrying signs, shouting out slogans opposing the proposed cuts in a demonstration which lasted about 2 hours.

Nearly 200 Persons Offered Public Comments At Hearing

Nearly 200 persons with disabilities, family members, individual workers, representatives from community organizations, facilities and regional centers gave brief testimony, strongly opposing the Governor’s proposed reductions. Many pleaded, sometimes with deep emotion, urging the subcommittee not to approve the Governor’s reduction amount saying it was unfair and would devastate the community-based system which already was subjected to deep cuts of over $500 million in state general fund spending in 2009.

Some people submitted several hundreds of letters on behalf of several people from other parts of the State who could attend the Thursday hearing

What Action the Assembly Subcommittee Took

The Assembly Budget Subcommittee #1 on Health and Human Services kept the main proposals – including the proposed $750 reduction in State general fund spending to regional centers and other developmental services. “open” for later action likely in February.

Next Steps

• The Senate Budget Subcommittee #3 on Health and Human Services, chaired by Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (Democrat – Concord) will hold its hearing on the Governor’s proposed reductions to regional centers and other developmental services on February 10th, Thrusday moring at 09:30 AM , or upon adjournment of the State Senate. 
• That hearing is expected to last at least 3 or more hours.

Governor Proposes $12.5 Billion In Spending Cuts Including Billions In Reductions To Health & Human Services

The two subcommittee hearings on Thursday covered some critical spending reduction proposals that are part of a larger package of spending cuts the Governor is proposing in order to close the State’s deficit of over $25 billion  - and projected on-going shortfalls of over $20 billion every year through at least 2016:

• The Governor is proposing $750 million reductions in State general fund spending, beginning in the 2011-2012 State Budget year that begins July 1, 2011, to developmental services that includes regional center community-based services and supports to over 240,000 children and adults with developmental disabilities.  The regional centers – under the Department of Developmental Services, is the point of entry for the State’s early intervention program, called “Early Start” for nearly 30,000 infants with developmental delays.
• The Governor’s proposed cuts to developmental services – the bulk focused on the growth in spending and caseload of the 21 non-profit regional centers – are largely unspecified at this point.  The Governor is proposing that his Administration – the Department of Developmental Services, develop a plan with details on how to achieve the bulk of the reduction (or savings to the State), in a process that includes stakeholder input. The Brown Administration intends to present these details and its recommendations to the Legislature probably in May or early June.  Those recommendations will likely include statewide purchase of services standards that could place significant limits on the use of services and narrowing of eligibility impacting people with developmental disabilities, their families, regional centers, community based organizations, facilities and individual workers.
• The Governor is also proposing $500 million reductions in State general fund spending to the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program that serves over 460,000 children and adults with disabilities (including developmental), the blind and seniors.  Those cuts include making permanent the existing 3.6% across the board reduction in authorized services hours for all IHSS recipients and increasing that cut by another 8.4% (for a total of 12%) on July 1, 2011; narrow eligibility by requiring a certification from a doctor for all IHSS recipients that they are “at risk” of out of home placement (institutionalization) in order to remain eligible or to become eligible for services under IHSS; eliminate domestic and related services for children in the program under the age of 18 who live at home with their parent; eliminate domestic and related services for adults who live in a “shared living” arrangement; and eliminate funding for county IHSS Advisory Committees. 
• Governor is proposing reducing the SSI/SSP (Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Payment) maximum individual monthly grants from $845 to $830 – the lowest amount allowed by the federal government.  Grants to couples were previously reduced to the lowest level allowed by the federal government in 2009.
• The Governor is proposing eliminating the MSSP (Multipurpose Senior Services Program) that serves – in 41 different sites – about 11,000 seniors over the age of 65 who are eligible for Medi-Cal and certified or could be certified as at risk of being placed in an institutional setting – but who wants to remain in their own home and community.