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Independence, Inc.
Independent Living Resource Center 
 Serving People with Disabilities Since 1978  

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ACTION ALERT 001  

It’s time for action!!  Things are rolling at the Capital.  Our concern at this moment is the Kerr/Morris budget proposal (SB 385).  You can download the text of SB 385 at the NEW Kansas Legislature website:  www.kslegislature.org  

Background:
In plain English, it puts in effect an immediate across the board cut of 2% for all state agencies for the entire year's budget.  This means that the SRS Division of Health Care Policy will be cut by approximately $8.5 million.  SRS has not yet determined where the cuts will be made but the programs most likely targeted would be state DD and Mental Health grants that go to CDDOs and CMHCs.  Of the state DD grant funds, approximately $13 Million are used for direct services.  There will be people with disabilities who lose some or possibly all of their services under this proposal.

 Of particular interest is the following taken directly from SB 385:

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. (a) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2002, appropriations are hereby made, restrictions and limitations are hereby imposed, and transfers, capital improvements projects, fees, receipts, disbursements and acts incidental to the foregoing are hereby directed or authorized as provided in this act.

Sec. 5. (a) Except as otherwise provided under subsection (b), on the effective date of this act, of the amount of each appropriation and re-appropriation from the state general fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2002, made by any appropriation act of the 2001 regular session of the legislature, the sum equal to 2% of the total of each such appropriation and re-appropriation is hereby lapsed. 

What You Can Do:

  1. Please contact and let your legislators know you oppose SB 38

  2. Let them know that we favor Governor Grave’s proposed budget that enhance revenues

  3. Contact members of the Senate Ways and Means committee

The Senate will hold hearings in Senate Ways and Means, Room 123 S next Tuesday (1/22), Wednesday (1/23) and Thursday(1/24) 10:30 AM – 12:00 noon  Room 123-S at the Capital. 

If you are interested in the bill and cannot appear in person, you can write letters to members of Senate Ways and Means committee.  They should be addressed to:

Stephen Morris, Chairperson
Senate Ways and Means Committee
Room 120 S
Capitol Building 66612-1590

Other members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee: 

Thank you in advance for all of your hard work and advocacy!  Together we can really make a difference! If you have any questions about the information included be sure to contact us.

Thanks again!!

Jennifer and Bob

Jennifer Schwartz -- Education Advocate
Independence, Inc.
2001 Haskell Ave
Lawrence, KS  66046
(785) 841-0333
jennifer@independenceinc.org

www.independenceinc.org

Subject:      Budget

It’s been a very busy week already with at least two, no, three budget proposals out there.

The one we favor overwhelmingly is the Governors Budget.

We ask that you call legislators and let them know that we want them to support the Governor’s budget.  It contains money so that Protected Income levels don’t have to change.  There is money for DME.  The good news:

It restores funding for:

  • Elderly In Home Services - 4.4 million. That’s the meals program.

  • Mental Health Grants

  • DD Grants

  • Funeral Assistance

  • It ADDS an additional 10 Million for SRS.  5 Million would go to waiting lists and 5 Million to rate increases.

People with terminal illness can access waiver services. ( If they live long enough waiting for services)

To fund it, it would require:

  • ¼ cent sales tax increase. (that’s one penny for every $4.00 you spend on anything taxable) So a Big Mac, fries and coke extra value meal will cost.
    $3.31 instead of $3.30. We checked with Salina McDonald’s...no relation)

  • $. 65 cent increase on cigarettes. (whoa, now that’s an incentive to quit...no, wait, maybe we should all just buy them and throw ‘em away!)

  •  $. 01 cent per gallon Motor fuel tax (the way prices vary on gas, will you even know the difference?)

  •  3% Registration fees on all vehicles (this is a restoration of taxes we previously paid, then didn’t, now will again.)

Now, in all seriousness, if you are buying a big ticket item, say a house, the ¼ cent sales tax will increase the cost.  But are we in this for the long haul or not?

The bad news on the Governors Budget is:

  • Still includes requirement that parents co pay on kids services on HCBS Waiver.

  • Still requires co pay on Pharmaceuticals for medical card.

  • Does not allow people with terminal illness to use Medicaid funds for hospice.

  • Does not restore the rate cuts for the PD Waiver. (the 5 million increase for rates appears to be for Doc’s who accept medical cards. We don’t want to compete with them, but we need to get the story out that the cut WILL affect attendant’s salaries)

All in all, it is a good budget.

ACTIONS:

  1. PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO THANK THE GOVERNOR FOR HIS SUPPORT. IF YOU DIDN’T HEAR HIS SPEECH, YOU SHOULD.  HE TALKED ABOUT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AT LEAST FIVE TIMES. TALKED ABOUT INDEPENDENCE.

  2. LET LEGISLATORS KNOW YOU WANT THEM TO SUPPORT THE GOV. PROPOSED BUDGET. NO LESS WILL DO!

  3. GET MORE AWARENESS TO COMMUNITIES ABOUT WHAT CUTS WILL MEAN.

Gina’s schedule for next week.

Monday - Holiday. Martin Luther Kings Birthday.  A great day to do something to promote freedom for all! I will be in Topeka on Tuesday and Wednesday from 10:30 to ???? Thursday and Friday In Salina.

Thanks. Please feel free to forward this e-mail on.  If you want someone else on the list, send their address. If you don't want to receive these anymore, please e-mail me.

Gina McDonald

“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” 
 - Martin Luther King Jr.

 

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