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What’s Happening
Less than 24 hours after the Legislature passed the 2015-16 Budget document, Governor Brown, President Pro Tem De Leon and Assembly Speaker Atkins held a press conference announcing a finalized budget solution. Without seeing details it appears our DDS increases have been thrown into another funding mess – the loss of $1 billion in managed care organization tax revenues now no longer available under new federal rules.
The politics of this is related to Republicans all voting against the budget bill, claiming Democrats were overspending. This action frames the solution for Medi-Cal rate increases PLUS the DDS increases as issues on Republicans are going to have to vote for revenue increases to finance the issues they tend to support.
Obviously we will bring back more information as we gather it – when the special Session will begin, etc. We simply wanted to let you know right away our understanding of what is going on and why. Here is the announcement from the Governor’s office.
We need to keep the pressure on!
The Lanterman Coalition is holding a virtual candlelight vigil on Facebook and Twitter to hold policymakers accountable to Californians with developmental disabilities.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
2. Ask people to take a selfie holding a candle, lighter, flashlight or standing/sitting next to a lamp. Post the pictures on Facebook and Twitter to show solidarity. Here’s a custom url you can use for the video: http://bitly.com/LetItShine_CABudget
3. Tell everyone you know about the virtual vigil. Ask them to Share, Like and Retweet.
Bottom line: Let’s show that we are One Community by flooding social media with images that depict #ShineTheLight!!
