House Poised To Slice Into Perdue Budget

By TRAVIS FAIN - tfain@macon.com
Macon Telegraph
January 28, 2010


ATLANTA — Gov. Sonny Perdue’s budget proposals are balanced on hundreds of millions of dollars in unpopular ideas, and killing them off will require hundreds of millions worth of spending cuts that leaders in the Georgia House of Representatives say they intend to make.

Where those cuts will come from, House leaders either aren’t sure or won’t say. But the effect on some state departments could be massive, and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Ben Harbin made it clear Wednesday “there are no sacred cows” in this year’s budget.

The House’s first target is Perdue’s proposal to place a 1.6 percent tax on hospital revenue. That essentially would charge paying customers to help fund the state’s Medicaid health-care program for the poor. That tax, and a similar one on managed care providers, would raise an estimated $345 million for the state in fiscal 2011.

It’s a major building block in Perdue’s $18.2 billion budget proposal for next year. But Harbin said he doesn’t think it will ever pass the House, where the Republican majority has taken a stand against tax increases.

“We’re going to make the cuts (to do away with it),” Harbin, R-Evans, said Wednesday. “Every department, I think, is going to have to take cuts.”

There are no obvious $100 million cuts in the budget, Harbin acknowledged. The state budget has already yielded more than $2 billion in state revenue cuts over the past two years, an effect of the recent recession.

Perdue and his economists predict some revenue growth in the next year. Perdue hopes it’s enough to stop furloughing teachers and other state employees after July 1. But these new cuts contemplated by the House would be game-changers.

“We’ve pulled the easy fruit,” Harbin said Wednesday.
“Now we’ve got to climb up into the tree. ...Every program is in play.”

Perdue’s administration has said it’s willing to consider other options, but after several months of budget preparation, it doesn’t see any good ones. The only other way to offset the need for new hospital tax revenues it has suggested has been a 16.5 percent cut in the Medicaid reimbursement rate paid to hospitals, doctors and other health-care professionals.

That “would be devastating,” Perdue’s communications director Bert Brantley said Wednesday. Many doctors probably would stop accepting Medicaid altogether, Brantley said. Hospitals with no choice but to stay in the program would lose millions or pass the loss on to customers.

And since the 1.6 percent tax would allow the state to draw down federal money for Medicaid, the pass-along cost to paying patients likely would be much higher if reimbursements are cut.

Another key budget proposal that’s proving unpopular is the governor’s plan to take some of the loans the state has made to help local governments fund water and sewer projects and sell them to private entities. It would be like a bank packaging mortgages together to raise cash. The state would get nearly $300 million to balance the budget next year, and the buyers would collect the debt later from the local governments.

It’s not clear how much the companies and other buyers stand to gain over the life of the deal, but it could be as much as $275 million over the $300 million they’d have to pay in cash up front, figures from the governor’s office suggest.

These Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority loans are a major source of financing for government infrastructure projects across the state. Perdue has promised loans still would be available, albeit in amounts akin to 2005 levels instead of the higher amounts of more recent years.

But many outside the administration are concerned that selling off a revolving source of funding for a one-time cash infusion will devastate the program and force more local governments into the more expensive private borrowing market.

That means Wall Street bankers and “very expensive bond attorneys,” said Todd Edwards, who focuses on these issues for the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, a group that works with county governments.

“The bottom line: This means higher (borrowing) prices for local governments, taxpayers and rate payers,” Edwards said.

Harbin said House budget writers aren’t rejecting the GEFA proposal outright, but they are “going to ask some tough questions” about it.

But, as with the hospital tax proposal, Perdue’s office said the governor has tried to choose the best of a lot of bad options. Packaging the GEFA loans would net the state nearly $300 million for fiscal 2011. The hospital tax would bring in an estimated $345 million more, plus the 3-to-1 match in federal dollars, pushing its full impact over $1 billion.

Education spending makes up 57 percent of the state budget. How, Brantley asked, do you cut hundreds of millions from the budget without seriously impacting that?

Democrats would like to see the state do a better job of collecting sales taxes, possibly by allowing local governments to take over some of the process and certainly by merging state databases with local business license records to better catch scofflaws. Those ideas seem to be gaining steam among the Republican majority at the Capitol, and proponents believe it could net the state hundreds of millions in the coming year.

But no one can be certain how much that actually would raise or how fast.

Teachers, who are planning on furlough days in the coming months and increases in class sizes, just want the bleeding to stop, Jeff Hubbard, president of the Georgia Association of Educators, said Wednesday.

Hubbard called on legislators to bring in new revenue, despite the Republican majority’s repeated mantra that raising taxes in a struggling economy is the worst thing government can do.

Hubbard said his organization wants to see a new half-cent sales tax for education, and he doesn’t care what it’s charged on.

“It could be hotels, it could be rental cars ... they could do it in conjunction with the tobacco tax,” he said.

“(The education budget) is not even hemorrhaging,” he said. “It’s not even bleeding. I would call (this tax) a tourniquet.”

To contact writer Travis Fain, call 361-2702.

http://www.macon.com/local/story/1001909.html

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Georgia GOP To Push Job Tax Cuts

The Associated Press
Athens Banner-Herald
January 27, 2010

ATLANTA — Georgia Republicans will push a forward a tax cut package aimed at creating jobs in the state, where unemployment is at 10.3 percent.

State Rep. Tom Graves will unveil new legislation at a state Capitol news conference on Wednesday.

The Republican from Ranger pushed a plan last year that would have given companies a $500 credit toward the unemployment insurance tax and a $2,400 income tax credit for each new employee they hire.

But Gov. Sonny Perdue vetoed the measure after the state Senate tacked on a provision to slash the capital gains tax in half over two years. The governor argued the move would have gutted recession-wracked state coffers.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://ap.onlineathens.com/pstories/state/ga/20100127/555383851.shtml

© 2008 OnlineAthens • Athens Banner-Herald • Morris Digital Works

Editorial: Shortsighted State Government Disappoints

Athens Banner-Herald
January 26, 2010


The editorial board writes, At a time when taking the long view would seem to be the best approach for managing state government in Georgia, it's disappointing to see some shortsightedness emerging on vital issues including education, transportation and water resources.

To read the whole article go to: http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/012610/opi_554645327.shtml

© 2010 OnlineAthens • Athens Banner-Herald • Morris Digital Works

You are invited to Unlock Legislative Day at the Capitol

WHEN: February 16, 2010

TIME: 10am-12pm

WHERE: Georgia State Capitol, Room 122


You are invited to Unlock Legislative Day at the Capitol
This is your chance to make an appointment with your legislator and help strengthen the message of Unlock for the 2010 session. Your experiences and personal stories need to be heard.

We will brief you on the Unlock message before your appointment and be there to answer your questions and offer support.

The Current Situation:
Georgia’s revenue has been in decline for the last 10 months – a 14.2% average decrease

To date, $3.2 billion dollars have been cut from state agencies

Why you need to attend:
Over 6300 individuals are on the waiting list for the NOW / COMP waiver. Nearly 4,000 are on the SHORT TERM list.

187 individuals are on the waiting list for the ICWP waiver.

Over 800 people with developmental disabilities remain in state hospitals; more individuals with developmental disabilities and / or physical disabilities are in nursing facilities.

RSVP
This event requires an RSVP by February 1 to Linda@aadd.org.

For questions, please call Linda Anderson at 404-881-9777 x 217. We have a limited amount of scholarships for travel, personal supports and childcare that are available.

Please let us know your needs when you RSVP.

Conference Call
We will host a conference call on February 12 at 11:30am to answer your questions and to review the agenda for the morning of the 16th. Conference codes will be given out when you RSVP.

Sponsors
Sponsored by the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities and organized by All About Developmental Disabilities in support of the Unlock the Waiting List Campaign.

See you on the 16th!

Rita Young
Director of Public Policy, AADD
Grassroots Coordinator, Unlock the Waiting Lists!

Notes From The Senate

Georgia State Senator Jack Hill of the Fourth District took these notes last week at the Capitol in Atlanta.


BY STATE SENATOR JACK HILL
4th District
January 22, 2010

Budget Briefings
Governor Sonny Perdue released his amended FY10 and FY11 budget recommendations to the General Assembly on Friday, January 15, 2010. During Senate and House Appropriations Committee hearings last week, lawmakers heard presentations from state agencies regarding their individual budgetary concerns and the impact that can be expected in FY10 and FY11.

In July, Governor Perdue announced a $900M reduction in the revenue estimate for the FY 2010 Budget due to the sharp drop in revenues the last 6 months of FY09. The 2010 Amended budget presented by Governor Perdue raises that reduction to $1.44B.

2010 AMENDED BUDGET PROPOSALS
The FY10 Amended revenue estimate is 7.3% below FY09 actual revenues and 8.5% below the original FY10 General budget revenue estimate of $16.99B. The FY10 Amended revenue estimate represents a 23% decline from the original FY09 General budget ($20.1B) proposed by Governor Perdue just 2 short years ago. Governor Perdue is now projecting a $1.44B shortfall for FY10.

To combat this shortfall, Governor Perdue has proposed an additional 3 furlough days for state employees and teachers, bringing the total to 6 for this fiscal year. This measure alone would save the state nearly $245M. For additional funds, the Governor has chosen to liquidate $140M from the Other Post Employment Benefit reserve fund designated for the health benefits of future retirees. The budget also proposes to shift the State Health Benefit Plan to a cash basis using $67M in funds set aside for bills that are funded from “Incurred but Not Reported” (IBNR).

Education
Governor Perdue has allocated an additional $92.8M to the QBE formula to fund K-12 enrollment growth of 0.67%. Although this is an increase, the Governor’s recommended budget reduced the QBE formula by $188M for the 6 furlough days. This paired with a $281M across the board reduction brings the total QBE base funding to a -5.6% reduction, although partially offset by federal stimulus funds to local systems.

The Governor has called for a $9.7M reduction in Georgia’s school nutrition program and a $4M reduction to its Special Needs Scholarship Fund. Pupil transportation would also be cut by $24.7M and the Equalization formula would decrease by 4% or $17.5M.

To meet increased growth in enrollments, the FY10 HOPE program includes an increase of $146,963 for the HOPE GED, $49.3M for the HOPE Grant, $2.1M for private school HOPE Scholarships, and $26.9M for public school HOPE Scholarships.

Higher Education
The Amended budget recommends a net cut of 7.76% to the Regents funding formula, a net cut of 7.48% to the Technical Colleges funding formula, and the elimination of the Guaranteed Educational Loans Program. $33.7M in Lottery funds would supplant State General Funds to finance the HERO Scholarship, Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Program (LEAP), North GA Military Scholarship Grants, North GA ROTC Grants, and Tuition Equalization Grants.

Medicaid, Peachcare, and Public Health
Governor Perdue has designated $20.3M in additional funds to the Department of Behavioral Health for state hospital improvements and $8.6M in state matching funds for private hospitals to assist in indigent and uncompensated care.

The Governor has also called for an 11% reduction in Low Income Medicaid, a 3% reduction to the Medicaid Aged Blind and Disabled fund, and a 9% reduction to Georgia’s Public Health Grant in Aid, generating the state nearly $90M in savings.

Corrections
The FY10 Amended budget recommends the closure of Scott State Prison (closed August 2009), Bostick State Prison (May 2010), and the Bill Ireland Juvenile Facility (January 2010) for a total savings of nearly $20M.

Next week’s column will include a summary of Governor Perdue’s FY2011 General budget proposals.

JOBS PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYERS
The Department of Human Services (DHS) has received nearly $200M in federal stimulus funds to be put towards a temporary, subsidized employment program for 5,000 adults. All families with dependent children and incomes of less than 300% of the federal poverty level (approximately $60,000 for a family of four) are eligible to participate.

Employers who choose to participate in this program will receive an 80% subsidy for employing adult workers for up to six months at minimum wage or above. The subsidy expires September 30, 2010.

For more information regarding eligibility requirements please send all inquiries to:
Employers: TANF-Employers@dhr.state.ga.us
Job Seekers: TANF-Jobseekers@dhr.state.ga.us


I may be reached at
234 State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334
(404) 656-5038 (phone)
(404) 657-7094 (fax)
E-mail at Jack.Hill@senate.ga.gov
Or Call Toll-Free at
1-800-367-3334 Day or Night
Reidsville office: (912) 557-3811



Angela Touhy
Senate Appropriations
234 State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
404-656-5038

Georgia Legislators Mull Health Care Fees

By Shannon McCaffrey
Associated Press
Athens Banner-Herald
January 22, 2010

ATLANTA - Facing a massive gap in Medicaid funding, Georgia's top health official urged state legislators Thursday to raise taxes on hospitals and health care plans.

The state is staring down a $506 million shortfall in Medicaid funds for the fiscal year that begins July 1, according to state Health Commissioner Rhonda Medows.

The recession has caused enrollment in the health program for the needy to soar. Medicaid rolls for low-income residents have jumped 7.7 percent since June to more than 1 million people.

Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of dollars in federal stimulus money is about to dry up.

The state has few options. To participate in Medicaid, it must provide services to the aged, blind and disabled and to low-income children. And because Georgia accepted stimulus cash from Washington, it cannot cut back eligibility on optional programs such as dental coverage and prescription drugs, Medows said.

"We are in a box," Medows told a joint budget panel of state legislators Thursday. "I cannot find $506 million to fill that hole through cuts, program reductions, layoffs."

Gov. Sonny Perdue has put forward a proposal that would charge hospitals and health insurance plans a 1.6 percent fee on their total revenues.

Perdue has been careful to label it a fee, but Medows on Thursday called it a tax - a word that's not popular in the Republican-led Georgia General Assembly.

It's the second year Perdue has pushed the proposal, which would leverage additional federal matching dollars. Last year the plan died amid opposition from conservative Republicans. But federal money also came to the rescue.

This year, unless Congress approves another infusion of federal cash, Georgia will be left to fend for itself.

State Rep. Mickey Channell, R-Greensboro, who oversees health spending on the House Appropriations Committee, said legislators are looking at possible alternatives to Perdue's so-called bed tax.

"The need for additional revenue is real," Channell said. "Our options are all pretty painful." Channell did not elaborate on potential alternatives, but one idea raised in the past was to increase the tax on tobacco products.

Federal and state governments share the costs for Medicaid, the health program for needy residents, and Medicaid spending accounts for 9.8 percent of all state general revenue spending in Georgia.

The recession is straining social service programs at the same time state coffers are running dry.

State Human Services Commissioner B.J. Walker told the legislative budget panel Thursday that in the past two years, Georgia has seen a 39 percent jump in demand for social services programs such as Medicaid, food stamps and welfare.

Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Friday, January 22, 2010

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/012210/gen_553013236.shtml

© 2010 OnlineAthens • Athens Banner-Herald • Morris Digital Works

Georgia Expects $608 Million Medicaid Deficit

By Craig Schneider
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
January 22, 2010

Georgia is projecting a $608 million deficit in Medicaid, and Gov. Sonny Perdue is proposing a tax on hospitals and managed care insurers to help bridge the gap, officials said Thursday.

The Medicaid gap is largely due to the reduction of $506 million in money from sources that include the federal stimulus program and the national settlement with tobacco companies.

In addition, the recession has spurred a projected 7.7 percent increase in enrollment in the state's Medicaid health program for the needy from July 2009 to June of this year. That program is expected to grow an additional 2 percent in the following budget year, said officials of the state Department of Community Health.

DCH Commissioner Rhonda Medows discussed the Medicaid problem Thursday during a series of state budget hearings on health and human services.

The hearings at the state Capitol also featured discussion on the proposed budget for the state mental health agency, which is slated to receive an additional $70 million over the next 18 months.

The $608 million Medicaid deficit is projected for fiscal year 2011, which begins in July. Medows said her agency does not have the means to make up for the Medicaid deficit without generating new revenue.

To help bridge the gap, Perdue's proposed budget calls for a 1.6 percent tax on net patient revenue of hospitals and premium revenue on managed care insurers. The two fees would generate $345 million annually, officials said.

Perdue had floated a similar fee proposal a year ago, and it was not well-received.

Medows said that if the new taxes are not approved, her agency would have to decrease Medicaid reimbursement payments to hospitals, doctors and other health providers by 16.5 percent.

Rep. Mickey Channell (R-Greensboro), chairman of the House Appropriations health subcommittee, said he opposed the hospital tax because it would benefit some hospitals and not others.

He noted that federal restrictions prevent the state from tinkering with the eligibility requirements on Medicaid, which is funded by both the state and federal governments. He said he was open to discussing the fees on the managed care companies.

Medows said Perdue's proposed budget also planned for increases in the premiums state employees pay into their health benefit program. The health plan -- which covers 689,000 state employees, their dependents and retirees -- would increase 10 percent across all options, officials said.

For the employee on the state HMO program, the most popular plan, the cost would increase about $10 a month for a single person and about $25 a month for a family.

Officials from the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities said their agency may be the only one to receive more money in the state budget.

The agency has agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to improve treatment and conditions at the state's mental hospitals. Perdue has proposed adding $20 million to the agency's budget from January through June. After that, Perdue has proposed adding an additional $50 million to the agency's $1 billion annual budget.

The additional money would be used to hire more staff for those mental hospitals that are understaffed, increase training, transfer paper records into electronic form, and increase community-based services, officials said.

http://www.ajc.com/health/georgia-expects-608-million-280428.html?cxtype=rss_news_128746

© 2010 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

State Ends Adult Mental Health Services at Milledgeville Hospital

By Craig Schneider
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
January 20, 2010

State officials said Wednesday they are shutting down adult mental health services at Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, the age-old hospital that symbolized the darkest days of psychiatric care in Georgia.

Georgia Trust Built in 1842, Central State Hospital was Georgiaís first psychiatric hospital, chartered by the legislature in 1837 with the intent of providing Georgians with mental illness or retardation with a safe and humane environment.

Yet even as Georgia discontinues this care at the 168-year-old facility, the state remains under fire from federal officials attacking the safety and treatment at the state's seven mental hospitals and demanding improvements.

Georgia faced a Jan. 15 deadline to be in substantial compliance with improvements laid out by the U.S. Justice Department, and state officials say they are awaiting the federal assessment on meeting that goal.

The sprawling ancient hospital had problems long ago and in recent times. The facility in the Macon area repeatedly has been the target of investigations by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In November, federal officials found so many shortcomings at Central State, with patients attacking one another and receiving poor treatment, that state officials announced the facility would no longer accept new patients.

By Wednesday, the adult mental health population had dwindled from 95 in November to just 30 due to discharges. Officials, needing significant funding to renovate the aging facility, decided to simply move these 30 patients to other state hospitals. The goal is to shut down adult mental health services by March 1.

Some of Central State will survive. That includes about 150 patients in the forensic unit, which is comprised of patients assigned by the criminal courts who are considered mentally ill. A few hundred patients will remain in the units that serve a nursing home, as well as patients with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. Two hundred employees will be transferred or laid off, said Tom Wilson, spokesman for the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

The hospital stopped treating children last summer, Wilson said.

"If they can't keep patients safe at Milledgeville, then they have to find somewhere else," said Ellyn Jeager of Mental Health America of Georgia.

Advocates were worried the transfer of patients might cause overcrowding in other facilities, and that patients from the Milledgeville area might be moved away from their families and loved ones, which could hamper their recovery. State officials said the change will not create any overcrowding elsewhere.

For many Georgians, the hospital that opened in 1842 still strikes a fearful image, representing a time when society sent its unwanted or problematic people to an isolated location. The place many know only as "Milledgeville" has had its own fire department, ZIP code and huge cemetery. As it grew to a population of some 12,000 patients, it boasted the largest kitchen in the world.

In 1869, Berry Hall, an inexperienced attendant, became the first staff member killed by a patient, according to an Oct. 5, 1997, story in the AJC.

The hospital's creation was part of the 19th century's social reform movement. Mentally ill people often were hidden away in the homes of families or sent out to live in the street.

Care at the hospital thrived in the mid-1800s as its leaders abolished such physical restraints as chains or ropes, according to the New Georgia Encyclopedia.

However, its population growth overwhelmed the staff, and such brute-force interventions as insulin shock and electroconvulsive therapy occurred in massive numbers, the encyclopedia said.

Thousands of patients were buried there with only numbered stakes as grave markers. In the 1960s, groundskeepers pulled up many stakes and tossed them aside to mow the lawn. In recent years, volunteers have conducted a cemetary restoration project.

In 1959, the hospital was the nation's largest mental institution, housing 12,500 patients. Jack Nelson's series in the AJC exposed the following factss: Only 48 doctors were on staff, and a dozen of them had alcohol or drug problems (several had been hired off the hospital's wards); doctors took money from pharmaceutical companies to try experimental drugs on patients, and other abuses.

Nelson's stories led to numerous reforms.

More recently, the AJC in 2007 pointed a harsh spotlight on the hospital in a series of stories that revealedsince 2002 that more than 100 patients had died under suspicious circumstances in the seven state mental hospitals.

The Justice Department has stayed focused on the inadequacies at Central State over the past year, sending state officials a series of letters detailing conditions that continue to endanger patients' safety.

Federal authorities said a recent visit to Central State confirmed that "grave harm continues to occur at the state psychiatric hospitals."

Josh Norris of the Georgia Advocacy Office said the state needs to move away from placing people in these hospitals and provide more community-based services. State mental health officials say they are heading in that direction.

But Jeager, the advocate, said the difficulty with that strategy is the same as it was 150 years ago: many people don't want facilities for mentally ill people in their neighborhood.

http://www.ajc.com/health/state-ends-adult-mental-279450.html

© 2010 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Press Release: Governor Perdue to Introduce Legislation to Improve Access to Home-based Care

STATE OF GEORGIA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

Sonny Perdue, GOVERNOR

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, January 20, 2010

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that State Representative Jimmy Pruett, one of the Governor’s House floor leaders, will introduce legislation to improve access to home-based care. Amending the Nurse Practice Act will allow an unlicensed person who is trained by a Registered Nurse (RN) to provide a defined set of skilled services to a specific person, as long as those services are ordered by a physician, dentist or podiatrist for a person who is disabled.

“Right now there are thousands of people in Georgia who could be cared for at home, but under current law their care must be provided by a licensed nurse,” said Governor Perdue. “This amendment to the Nurse Practice Act would open the door to allow people to remain at home and in their community. This will make healthcare more convenient, more affordable and more accessible to Georgians with disabilities.”

Under current law, no skilled service can receive reimbursement unless the caregiver is a licensed health care provider. Expanding the pool of caregivers will make community care more affordable for both Medicaid and private payers. The training must be for a specific individual and does not allow the unlicensed person to serve others without separate, specific training. The changes to the Nurse Practice Act have also been approved by the Georgia Board of Nursing.

“This bill will increase choice for Georgia’s elderly and disabled,” said Rep. Pruett. “It will help many people stay in their community, rather than go to an institutional setting.”

“This legislation will give families more options to potentially expand services they receive based on their own choices,” said Frank Shelp, M.D., Commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

###

Martin Luther King Honored By State Lawmakers

The Associated Press
The Macon Telegraph
January 14, 2010

ATLANTA -- Gov. Sonny Perdue and state lawmakers are kicking off the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 81st birthday festivities in the halls of the Capitol.

Perdue was joined by Martin Luther King III and other members of the King family, as well as Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, House Speaker David Ralston, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and members of the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus.

King's eldest son urged the audience to support victims of the Haitian earthquake in remembrance of his father.

Ralston encouraged lawmakers to espouse King's ideals of civility, fairness and respect during this year's session.

Former Georgia Supreme Court Justice Leah Ward Sears delivered the keynote address to a crowd of more than 100 lawmakers, dignitaries and others in attendance.

http://www.macon.com/220/story/985472.html

Copyright © 2010 The McClatchy Company

Georgia Medicaid Deficit Could Exceed Half-Billion Dollars

By Morris News Service
Savannah Morning News
January 15, 2010

ATLANTA - More bad news, in advance of the expected release at noon today of Gov. Sonny Perdue’s budget proposal. Thursday, Community Health Commissioner Rhonda Medows announced that the state’s Medicaid shortfall for Fiscal 2011 will be in the neighborhood of $635 million.

That’s a 33 percent increase over the $477 million shortfall the state faced last year.

One observer noted that when combined with the temporarily enhanced 3:1 federal match for Medicaid expenditures, this amounts to a total $2 billion shortfall. The result could be “devastating” for the state’s hospitals and health care providers, the source said.

House Appropriations Chairman Ben Harbin said Friday morning the news could make funding for other government services harder to find.

“If I spend money on something that looks good, it has to come from somewhere,” the Evans Republican told a conference of social-program advocates. “Is it coming from our K-12 education? It could be. Is it coming from out healthcare needs, as we saw this morning with the downturn in the economy and the larger-than-expected deficit in Medicaid? Is it going to come from there?”

The increasing burden on the Medicaid system also reflects the state’s tough economic position. It’s being driven up as more Georgians join the poverty rolls.


http://savannahnow.com/latest-news/2010-01-15/georgia-medicaid-deficit-could-exceed-half-billion-dollars

Morris Communications All files and material © Savannah Morning News, 2009

Coweta Special Ed Program Receives State Honor

By Jeff Bishop
The Times-Herald
Newnan, GA
January 15, 2010

The Coweta County School System's Special Education program has been recognized for high achievement by the state of Georgia.

"Your system is one of the highest performers on one or more indicators when compared to systems of similar size," Dr. Martha Reichrath, deputy state superintendent of schools, informed Coweta County Superintendent Blake Bass in a recent letter.

"Congratulations on your outstanding accomplishment," Reichrath said.

The recognition was announced at the annual fall conference of the Georgia Council for Administrators of Special Education.

Coweta County was recognized as a "leader in the state of Georgia" for its "outstanding efforts to improve the performance of students with disabilities."

The Coweta County Board of Education recognized Gina Murray, director of special education for the county, and several other staff members this week at the county school offices on Jackson Street.

The recognition was for the 2008-2009 school year.

"We are grateful to you... your staff, parents, and community members of your stakeholders committee," said Reichrath.

"With continued efforts, we will see even greater gains for students with disabilities in the future."

"We appreciate all your hard work," Bass told Murray and her staff team.

"This means a lot to us," he said. "We know about the good job our teachers do, but it's nice to be recognized by the state as a leader."

"Our teachers and parapros are the best in Georgia, and they work very hard," said Murray. "We're very proud."

Sue Brown, vice-chair of the school board, said that the special ed department has a crackerjack group of secretaries, too.

"Without them, you couldn't do the job, either," she said.

"I agree," said Bass.

http://www.times-herald.com/Local/Coweta-special-ed-receives-state-honor-952597
© 2010 The Newnan Times-Herald Inc.

State Education Board To Vote On Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Rule

By D. Aileen Dodd
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Metro Atlanta / State News
January 13, 2010

The state Board of Education will vote Thursday on new rules for providing vouchers to students with disabilities who want to transfer to other public or private schools.

The policy was crafted to clear up confusion about application criteria, parent notification and qualifications for private schools receiving students in the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program.

Some parents and education officials, however, say the measure doesn't go far enough in providing special needs' families with abundant school choice and should have been developed sooner.

“We needed some time to take in, analyze and get some data about how well the program was really working,” said Matt Cardoza, spokesman for the state Department of Education. “Based on that, we were able to develop a stronger rule with guidance that can clarify the procedures for all involved.”

Currently, some 2,100 students receive the scholarships, nearly 640 more than the previous school year. The vouchers, which averaged $6,331 last school year, are awarded annually to students ready to start new schools in August. The program is in its second year.

To qualify, the new proposal says special needs students must be currently enrolled in a Georgia public school for at least one year; have a parent or guardian who has resided in the state for at least a year and have an active individualized education plan outlining academic expectations and the accommodations needed, among other things.

Parents can choose to transfer their kids to other campuses in their districts or move to a school in a different district if there is room. Most scholarship recipients opt for private school. Districts must now notify parents of the transfer option at least 10 days before the end of the school year.

Ben Scafidi, executive director of the Center for an Educated Georgia called the rule a "step in the right direction."

"We need to change the law to allow for more opportunities for special needs children to enroll in private schools during ... the middle of the school year," he said. "Florida does this.”

Georgia also excludes some special needs students if they are home schooled, in juvenile justice schools or in residential treatment facilities.

“The most egregious of the provisions goes beyond the statute to exclude students in residential treatment facilities," said John Zimmring, an attorney who represents special needs students.

Lawrenceville mom Tina Holt said the new rule won't help her. Holt withdrew her son Matthew from a Gwinnett middle school without knowing about the scholarship's enrollment criteria. She home schooled him for the rest of the year. “He was being bullied and could not keep up with the rest of his class,” Holt said. “He has a speech impediment and people were making fun of him.’’

Holt said she tried to enroll him in the Special Needs School of Gwinnett but learned she didn’t qualify for the state's special needs scholarship. The school helped her find a private scholarship this year, but she doesn’t know what she will do next year.

“He’s getting straight As,” Holt said. “When I first started this process ...if I had known that … he could not qualify I would have not home schooled him. A lot of parents are just like us, they had no idea.’’

http://www.ajc.com/news/state-education-board-to-274515.html

© 2010 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Notes From the Senate

The Georiga State Senator is concerned about some tough choices regarding the state budget.

BY SENATOR JACK HILL,
4th DISTRICT
January 8, 2010

Although I am optimistic about the future of Georgia, in the coming session we will face some hard realities regarding the budget. In this column, I want to outline some of my thoughts about our likely approach to these tough choices.

Last year, the General Assembly approached the budget with an emphasis on fiscal discipline, and by trying to prudently manage reserves and stimulus funds for future years. This year we are going to have to repeat this process, but under even tougher conditions and with an eye towards long term change.

Based on last fall’s revenue projections, our total revenues can now only sustain a $15.7 billion state budget, roughly the same as in 2005. The drop in tax collections has been so precipitous that the Senate Budget Office projects the state may not recover to its previous levels until after 2015.

What this means is that we need to begin the process of rethinking the business of state government. Not all issues are going to be resolved this session, but we cannot continue furloughing state employees for the next five years. Fundamentally, the Governor and legislators are going to have to make tough decisions in five major state policy areas: K-12 education, higher education, corrections, health care, and revenues.

K-12 Education as a whole represents 42% of Georgia’s annual budget. Teacher salaries alone make up one-third of the state’s budget. The Governor and the General Assembly have worked hard to protect teachers. This year eligible teachers received step increases for training and advanced degrees and in the 2009 budget they received a cost of living increase, which no other employees received. In 2010, the Governor was forced to implement a three day furlough for all state employees, including teachers, to save almost $129 million. Because education makes up such a large portion of the budget, the Governor is likely to propose additional cuts.

That being said, the General Assembly will be looking for ways to help school districts leverage their existing funds. Both the House and Senate are considering new legislation to give school districts more flexibility to manage their own funds, such as suspending the 65% expenditure requirement and finding new ways to reward high performing teachers. They will also examine ways to improve administrative efficiencies and to assist with innovations through technology.

Higher Education: Around 13% of the state budget is directed to the state’s University System and Technical Colleges. According to the Southern Regional Education Board, 43% of Georgia’s University system revenues came from appropriations compared to 33% in other southern states, meaning the state’s system is much more reliant on state appropriations. That may be partially due to the fact that Georgia’s average tuition is 38% below the southeastern states’ median. If budget reductions result in significant tuition increases, the state may need to implement some sort of needs based assistance.

However, the problem is not entirely tuition. University System institutions’ endowment income only makes up around 1.4% of the University system revenues, compared to a 6.7% average in other southern states. The Board of Regents should also take an in-depth look at student fees, which compound the cost of education for students, but are often not directed towards essential educational services. A sharper focus on 4-year graduation could include disincentives to lengthier timelines.

Finally, the higher education system should continue to examine its own internal operations and phase out low demand programs, while looking for ways to consolidate administration and other services.

Medicaid: 16% of the state budget goes to health care for low-income children and mothers, the elderly, and disabled, or $222 for every man, woman and child in the state not on Medicaid. Last year the Governor proposed to increase taxes on hospitals and insurance companies as a way of avoiding provider rate cuts. Due to the stimulus, the General Assembly was able to avoid doing either. This year we may not be so fortunate.

If the state does take up a hospital or insurance tax, measures should ensure that hospitals heavily affected by uncompensated or indigent patients are protected.

Medicaid waste, fraud, and abuse has also been an ongoing concern and the General Assembly will review ways to save money by better enforcing stricter regulations for both recipients and providers.

Corrections: Around 6% of the budget is Department of Corrections. Georgia ranks 18th in the nation in per capita spending on Corrections – yet 4th in the number of adults incarcerated per capita and 1st in the number of adults under some form of correctional supervision.

Since the beginning of the economic downturn, the Department has worked closely with the legislature to find ways to reduce the burden of corrections on taxpayers, while still ensuring the safety of Georgians. The Department has already closed five inefficient state prisons and has proposed closing three additional ones this year. In order to manage the population, the Department is adding beds within existing facilities, a cheaper option than maintaining an entirely separate prison, and is investing in private prisons. The state is also examining paroling low-risk, geriatric patients to nursing homes, and making better use of electronic monitoring and community facilities.

Revenues: While the state is obviously examining every way possible to lower expenditures, the General Assembly may also choose to consider ways to increase funds coming into the state. As many local governments have pointed out, the state needs to first turn to enforcement of tax collections. We have heard numerous anecdotal stories of businesses that are not paying sales taxes or are ringing up cash items as untaxed “lottery.” Maybe private enterprises could help identify fraud and provide collection services.

There are other options as well. A recent audit pointed out that some state fines and fees have not been updated for 20 years, many of which could be adjusted for inflation. It stands to reason that a fee should cover the cost of delivering a service.Another consideration may be to develop a “tax expenditure” report to help legislators assess whether the various credits, deductions or exemptions provided throughout the tax code are still serving their original purposes.

This session legislators are going to be faced with many tough decisions that will have serious implications on the state’s future. It is going to take the cooperation of the Governor and the General Assembly to make strategic, well-informed decisions to ensure the state’s future fiscal stability and to rethink how we manage our way out.

I may be reached at
234 State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334
(404) 656-5038 (phone)
(404) 657-7094 (fax)
E-mail at Jack.Hill@senate.ga.gov
Or Call Toll-Free at
1-800-367-3334 Day or Night
Reidsville office: (912) 557-3811

Angela Touhy
Senate Appropriations
234 State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
404-656-5038

Legislative Calendar for Georgia State Legislators During First Week

A look at the first week of the session

By Aaron Gould Sheinin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sunday, January 10, 2010

Here's a look at what's happening as the 2010 session of the General Assembly starts this week:

Monday
At 10 a.m., House and Senate will convene.

In the House, elections are expected to be held for speaker and speaker pro tem.

In the Senate, dozens of bills are already on the calendar and could be debated.

Tuesday
Georgia Chamber of Commerce's annual Eggs & Issues event, 7:30 a.m. at Georgia World Congress Center. Gov. Sonny Perdue, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and the new House speaker are expected to participate.

House and Senate will both meet. House Ways and Means and Education committees will meet.

Wednesday
Perdue will deliver State of the State address, 11 a.m. in House chambers.

Perdue is also expected to release his budget proposal, although he has until the end of the week to do so.

House and Senate will both meet.

Thursday
House and Senate will both meet.

House Ways and Means, Education and Transportation committees meet, as well as a Judiciary subcommittee.

Friday
TBD

http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/a-look-at-the-271773.html
© 2010 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Ralston Elected, Declares A New Day in the House

Newly elected House Speaker David Ralston on Monday swore to restore Georgians' confidence in their elected officials and said "renewal is born from adversity."

By Aaron Gould Sheinin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
January 12, 2010

Newly elected speaker David Ralston (right), a Republican from north Georgia, and Rep. Calvin Smyre, the Democratic nominee for the post, exchange greetings during Ralston's official escort into the chamber.

Indeed, the first day of the 2010 legislative session was dominated -- in the House, at least -- by vows of renewal and new beginnings and promises of cooperation and bipartisanship.

"We are at a point that is both unprecedented and unexpected," Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) said in what amounted to an inaugural address following the House's 116-58 vote in favor of Ralston over the Democratic nominee, House Minority Caucus Chairman Calvin Smyre (D-Columbus).

"We face great challenges. There will, no doubt, be obstacles thrown in our path. But I truly believe this chamber is filled with good leaders."

Ralston said he learned as a legislative page when he was in the fifth grade that "public service was both noble and honorable. I watched great leaders here that day do great work for the people that sent them there. I still believe public service is noble and honorable."

That sense of nobility and honor at the Capitol sustained a mighty blow last month when former House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) announced his plans to resign after his ex-wife told the world via a series of devastating television interviews that Richardson cheated on her with a lobbyist for a local utility company while championing legislation to benefit his paramour's employer.

Susan Richardson's decision to reveal her ex-husband's infidelities, as well as his need for attention and sympathy, did not cost only Richardson. It opened the floodgates on a month of rumor mongering and depictions of the Gold Dome as frat house rather than people's house. Lobbyists, especially female ones, have complained that the scandal has put them all under a banner of corruption. Indeed, veteran lobbyists said Monday that there were far fewer female lobbyists at the Capitol than normal.

The ripple effects of the Richardson scandal led the House and the state to Monday, through a convoluted order of succession that saw Rep. Mark Burkhalter (R-Johns Creek) gavel the chamber to order at 10 a.m. in a stint as speaker of the House that lasted about 12 days. Burkhalter was speaker pro tem when Richardson resigned Jan. 1 and thus assumed the speakership. But Burkhalter said he would not seek the job permanently, and Ralston beat out two other Republicans to win the job.

Burkhalter has plans beyond the Gold Dome. He said he's opening a London-based realty firm, but hasn't decided whether he will need to give up his seat, which he's held since 1993. After ending his first legislative day in charge, Ralston defended his chamber and his colleagues.

"This is not a frat house," he said. "These are good people, and I am intent that the people of Georgia know that I'm not going to let the actions of a few ruin the reputations of many." The House, he said, needs to change "substantively" and "symbolically."

Meanwhile, in the Senate, the first day was without drama. Senators met for about 40 minutes, taking little official action.

Following an opening prayer, senators lined up to shake Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle’s hand. Donzella James (D-Atlanta), the new and former senator from the 35th District, was introduced, after winning a special election for the seat formerly held by newly elected Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.

Reed was in the House gallery for much of the morning. Ralston, in his speech following the vote, said his promise of a new beginning extends to relations with the city of Atlanta.

"Atlanta has a great new leader, and I look forward to working with Mayor Kasim Reed and Atlanta to move all of Georgia forward," Ralston said.

Smyre, the veteran Democrat, said in a speech before the vote that he knew the outcome in advance. But his candidacy, he said, was about something far more important.

"I don't expect to win today by popular vote, but the mere fact that I am a candidate is a victory for democracy and the minority party," Smyre said.

"Spoils go to the winner," Smyre said. "But whether you win or lose, politics ought to be about an open and participatory policy. I don't suffer from the illusion of inclusion, but I do expect the decency of participating in this House."

That participation is more likely under Ralston, for whom 11 Democrats voted over Smyre. The new speaker is expected this week to roll out changes to House rules that allow for more dissent and more debate both in committee and on the House floor. Ralston also said he will announce new committee chairs this week, and several top lawmakers are expected to be removed from committee chairmanships.

Ralston said he will meet with key advisers this week and announce changes by Wednesday.

Joining Ralston in the new House leadership Monday was Rep. Jan Jones (R-Milton), who was elected speaker pro tem. Jones becomes the first woman to hold such a lofty title in the House. Jones defeated Rep. Kathy Ashe (D-Atlanta) for the No. 2 spot in the House.

"I pledge to serve the new speaker and you, doing what is good and right for all Georgia," Jones said.

So, Monday was about change and starting over. Richardson's name was barely mentioned. Tuesday begins the real work and the real test for the new leadership, the House and the Senate.

"Georgians need to know now more than ever that their state government belongs to the working families and people of this state and not to the special interests," Ralston said. "We must embrace change because business as usual in this House will no longer be tolerated."

Staff writers Ernie Suggs and Nancy Badertscher contributed to this article.

http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/ralston-elected-declares-a-272576.html

© 2010 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Union Mission Project Provides Homes for Chronically Homeless

By Jan Skutch
Savannah Morning News
Savannahnow.com
January 7,2010

Things went south for Sharon Williams in 2004.

Illness left her unable to continue her business. Her husband abandoned her. She went homeless, living with friends.

"I just lost everything," said Williams, 47. "It just happened at one time."

Today, Williams and her two adult children - her caregivers - have a new home at Dutchtown Campus Apartments, a Union Mission program that provides permanent homes for the homeless with special needs.

The 48-unit complex on Middleground Road provides supportive housing for chronically homeless individuals and families with mental health and addictive disease needs, HIV or disabilities.

The $6 million project incorporated a partnership with the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and other funding sources.

New face to homelessness
With permanent supported housing, residents have someone there to keep their lives together and keep them accountable, said the Rev. Micheal Elliott, Union Mission president and CEO.

"It's putting people in homes rather than in shelters," he said. "I think shelters have helped perpetuate the problem of homelessness."

It may be the future face of dealing with the issue. But the need for shelters remains "so people don't die on the streets," Elliott added.

Grace House at Union Mission, Salvation Army, Inner City Night Shelter and The Old Savannah City Mission remain full, he said.

Letitia Williams, Union Mission vice president for housing services, said Dutchtown's 48 units can accommodate as many as 110 people.

Federal housing grants provide rent subsidies for residents. And unlike apartments rented from private complexes, Union Mission acts as its own landlord for Dutchtown residents, Robinson said.

Finding a way home
Sharon Williams suffered a stroke in 2004 that caused physical and attention problems.
She once owned Sharon's Crab House for 13 years. Now she's awaiting a ruling on her disability claim.

She has no medical insurance, and adding to her woes was a bout with depression two years ago that sent her to the now-defunct Savannah Area Behavioral Health Collaborative and member Union Mission.

They housed her in supportive living on Huntingdon Street until an apartment at Dutchtown opened up last month. There, she moved into a two-bedroom, one-bath unit for the same $380 a month - including utilities - she paid before.

"I'm very, very happy," she said.

Tailored to her needs
Williams' tale is not atypical at Dutchtown.

Sallie Anderson, 63, had been homeless since 2006, when she lost her job as a telemarketer as she awaited surgery.

She received treatment at Curtis V. Cooper Primary Health Care and had surgery as an outpatient at a Memorial University Medical Center clinic.

Social Security-based supplements assisted her expenses in 2007, and she found housing through Union Mission at the Chelsea Apartments for $267-a-month until December.

Now she is busy completing her Dutchtown move with the help of neighbors, family and her church.

Her one-bedroom apartment includes a handicapped-accessible bathroom, one of three such apartments at Dutchtown. And her $267-a-month rent is the same she paid at Chelsea.

To read the rest of article go to http://savannahnow.com/news/2010-01-07/union-mission-project-provides-homes-chronically-homeless

Savannahnow.com, Savannah Morning News ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Perdue Makes Announcement of a Nominating Committee for Child Advocate

STATE OF GEORGIA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

Sonny Perdue, GOVERNOR

For Immediate Release
Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Contact: Office of Communications

(404) 651-7774

Governor Perdue Announces Nominating Committee for Child Advocate

ATLANTA -- Governor Sonny Perdue announced today the formation of the Nominating Committee for Georgia’s Child Advocate. Georgia code requires the appointment of a nominating committee to recommend at least three candidates to serve as advocate. The position is open due to the resignation of current advocate Tom Rawlings, who will serve as the director of the International Justice Mission in Guatemala.

State law requires the nominating committee to review applicants for the position and recommend at least three candidates to the Governor for consideration.

The committee will consist of Tommy Hills, Mary Eleanor Wickersham and Josh Belinfante.

A copy of the Executive Order follows, as well as short biographies of each committee member.

Whereas: O.C.G.A. § 15-11-172(b) provides that the Child Advocate shall serve terms of three years; and

Whereas: The Office of Child Advocate has become vacant; and

Whereas: O.C.G.A. § 15-11-172(a) requires the appointment of a nominating committee to consider nominees for the position of the advocate and that such nominating committee recommend at least three candidates to serve as advocate.

Now, Therefore, By Virtue of the Authority Vested In Me As Governor of the State of Georgia, It Is Hereby

Ordered: That a nominating committee of Tommy Hills, Mary Eleanor Wickersham, and Josh Belinfante be formed to consider nominees for the position of advocate as required by O.C.G.A. § 15-11-172. The nominating committee shall recommend for consideration at least three persons with knowledge of the child welfare system, the juvenile justice system, and the legal system that are qualified by training and experience to perform the duties of advocate as provided for in O.C.G.A. § 15-11-173.

This 5th day of January, 2010.

Biographies

Tommy Hills – Hills serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the State of Georgia. From 1965-2001, Hills had a long and distinguished career at Wachovia Bank, N.A. In his final position at Wachovia, Hills served as the bank’s Executive Vice President and Atlanta City President. From 2002 to present, Hills served as Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and Campaign Director for Coxe, Curry & Associates. His extensive civic and community involvement has included the Atlanta Historical Society, Georgia Council on Economic Education, YWCA of Greater Atlanta, Atlanta Business Community Development Corporation, Leadership Atlanta, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. His professional memberships include the State Bar of Georgia, American Bankers Association Alumni Council and the Rotary Club of Atlanta. He is a graduate of Emory University’s undergraduate and law schools.

Mary Eleanor Wickersham – Mary Eleanor Wickersham serves as Health and Human Services Policy Advisor to Governor Perdue. She has 25 years of experience in health care, including working in the private sector in home and community services, acute care, and long-term care, as well as health care consulting. She holds a B.A. from Emory University, a Master’s in Public Affairs from Georgia College and State University, and a certificate in Clinical Health Care Ethics from St. Louis University, and will complete her Doctorate in Public Administration with an emphasis in public policy at Valdosta State University in May 2010. A native of Sandersville, she and her husband, David, have two adult children and two grandchildren.

Josh Belinfante – Belinfante joined RobbinsLaw LLC in 2009. Previously, he served as the Executive Counsel to Governor Perdue, the chief legal advisor to the Governor. Belinfante earlier served as the Legal Counsel to the Georgia House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary, where he participated in, among other legislative matters, the revamping of Georgia’s eminent domain laws. He received a law degree from the University of Georgia Law School. Belinfante serves on the board of MCG Health, Inc., is President-Elect of the Pace Academy Alumni Association; and serves on the boards of the Atlanta Chapter of the Federalist Society, the Jewish National Fund, and Republican Leadership of Georgia.

###

GET READY FOR A CHALLENGING 2010 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Bringing you up to speed: HB 228 restructured the Department of Human Resources, creating the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD).

Home and Community-based services for people with Developmental Disabilities will be funded in the DBHDD budget.

The ICWP home and community-based services will remain under the Department of Community Health.

The Situation:
Georgia’s revenue has been in decline for the last 10 months – a 14.2% average decrease.

To date, $3.2 billion dollars have been cut from state agencies.

The FY 2010 cut to DBHDD was $118.6 million, a 14.7% reduction.

A higher federal Medicaid match rate from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds replaced $65.1 million, leaving a $53.5 million cut.

The Need:
Over 6300 individuals are on the waiting list for the NOW / COMP waiver. Nearly 4,000 are on the SHORT TERM list.

187 individuals are on the waiting list for the ICWP waiver.

There are not enough state family support dollars to keep people stable at home while they wait.

Over 800 people with developmental disabilities remain in state hospitals; more individuals with developmental disabilities and / or physical disabilities are in nursing facilities.

The Request:
SUPPORT DBHDD’s request for 1500 NOW/COMP waiver services · $20,596,290 ·

Support DCH’s request for 100 ICWP waiver slots under MFP · $1,199,652 · and cover ICWP waiting list · $1,829,854 ·

Support an increase in state funded family support dollars. (NOT currently included in the budget, but we propose an additional $6,000,000 each year).

Support the Division of Developmental Disabilities’ request for a cost study on provider rates, and stabilize the rate structure so providers can stay in business.

Support the request for a new multi-year funding plan for Home and Community-based Services, effective FY 2011, for 5 years.

NOW is a good time to meet with your legislators in their home district,
attend their forums and meetings, and tell them what you need for a family member with a disability to be supported in your community.

http://www.unlockthewaitinglists.com/advocate.html
GCDD.gov

State Budget Pictures Bleak As Lawmakers Head Back

SHANNON McCAFFREY
January 3, 2010

ATLANTA (AP) - The new year promises to be a tough one for lawmakers scrambling to find enough money to keep their states running without raising taxes.

Tax collections continue to sputter. Federal stimulus dollars are about to dry up. Rainy day funds have been tapped. And demand for services like Medicaid, food stamps and unemployment benefits is soaring.

Budgets are already lean and unless lawmakers increase taxes or fees, they will need to cut even more as they grapple with the steepest decline of tax receipts on record.

That could mean new tolls to fund road projects, more prisoners being released early to trim corrections budgets, and the end of welfare programs that don't bring federal matching dollars. Funding could also evaporate for higher education, arts and economic development.

http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_16037/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=Jc1ULQnF
AP Mobile. © 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.