Third Week of the Session

The third week at the Capitol was a blur of legislative surveys, meetings with key legislators and committee meetings - all focused on advocating for the 1,500 new MRWP and 152 ICWP slots. The advocacy for the ICWP slots last week began slowly with no one able to come down to the capitol for the Joint Budget briefings, but picked up speed with strategy meetings taking place at the start the week. The result was a ICWP fact sheet.

We also released a press release highlighting why the Governor's proposal for 750 new MRWP and no ICWP slots was inadequate and fails to continue a committment to a multiple year funding strategy of dealing with Georgia's waiting lists for disability supports.

We also, with the help of Paulette, a Georgia State University social work student, began asking both senate and house legislators to take a stand on our issues - and recording and posting their answers on our website. This week, we were able to survey 35 legislators on the following questions: (1) what should their constituents know about their direct support for disbaility issues at the capitol, (2) who do they turn to for advice on disability issues, (3) in accordance to the multiple year funding plan, will they support 1,500 new MRWP and 152 new ICWP slots, (4) and are they planning to attend lunch during Disabilty Day at the Capitol on February 23rd.

On Thursday, Rep. Jeff Brown held his House Health Subcommittee of Appropriations to hear from several state agencies on the FY06 budget - that included DHR. During this briefing, the Director for MHDDAD, Gwen Skinner said that "they would not allow children's money to serve adults and for adults money to serve children" when talking about past practices for using TANF. Director Skinner was backing up Commissioner Walker's belief that Community Service Boards were over serving adults and that they were going to meet with them that week to discuss ways to move their practices closer to the intent of the money they are currently receiving.