Second Week of the Session

The General Assembly has recessed this week but work has continued. Advocates continued to meet with their legislators and many of you have sent hundred of emails asking your legislators to reconsider cutting the number of slots for people with disabilities waiting on lists for help. Some of the responses are positive and some are tentative. Some of the responses have included:

Jan 20th
I appreciate your email and your advocacy for those issues. It means a lot to get the appeal; first-hand from someone that I know is dedicated. Please give my best to [your family] and I hope you all will be able to come up during the Session.

Senator Jack Hill, District 4

Thank you for your email regarding funding for home and community based services. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I will certainly work to increase the number of slots - as our budget allows. I appreciate you bringing this to my attention, and I hope you will continue to keep me advised on any other matters of interest.

Sincerely,
Rep. Mark Burkhalter, District 50

I got your email on this and will do what I can to support your proposal.

Sincerely,
Senator Michael S. Meyer von Bremen, District 12

Thanks, we will continue to push for it.

Senator Judson H. Hill, Esq., District 32

Thanks for your e-mail. As you know, I’m a strong supporter of getting EVERYONE off the waiting list, and ensuring that every Georgian with developmental disabilities receives the proper community supports. Unfortunately, however, I’m not on the House Appropriations Committee. I definitely suggest getting in touch with the legislators who are on the Appropriations Committee, and then you can count on my support when the budget reaches the floor of the House. Jill Chambers, who also represents part of DeKalb in the House, sits on Appropriations.


Rep Mike Jacobs, District 80

Senator Golden asked me to let you know that he will certainly support and help in any way he can. Thanks for keeping us updated. Carmen

Carmen Alexander
Administrative Assistant
Office of Senator Tim Golden, District 8

We are asking for more money this year in our house budget. Keep your fingers crossed.

Rep Jay Shaw, District 176

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK - KEEP SENDING EMAILS. Go to the UnlocktheWaitingLists.com website to find more information on how you can help.

In addition to the work being done to reinstate the slots to 1,500 MRWP and to add 152 ICWP slots to the budget, a hearing was held on Thursday to hear testimony on the Katie Beckett Waiver. As expected it was a packed and emotional 3 hours with the number of families being able to testify limited because of the overwhelming response. An article in the AJC covered this meeting well:

Lawmakers heard Thursday that state officials were unprepared for the fallout when families with special-needs children were suddenly dropped from the Katie Beckett Medicaid program ...Sen. Greg Goggans (R-Douglas) said lawmakers and program officials needed to "work on this quickly." To read this article by Patty Guthrie, go to State blindsided on cuts for special-needs kids ajc.com

Keep sending emails to legislators and if you get a response - send them our way - we will post them here!

Thanks for all you are doing! Remember Disability Day on February 23rd at the Capitol!