Friday, November 4, 2011

Legislators Hear About Impact of Cuts

TACOMA, WASH. -- At least one Republican in the Legislature is willing to consider voting in favor of a tax increase if it means avoiding life-threatening cuts to services for people with developmental disabilities.
Reps. Maureen Walsh, R-Walla Walla; Terry Nealey, R-Dayton; Larry Haler, R-Richland; and Brad Klippert, R-Kennewick; and Sens. Jerome Delvin, R-Richland, and Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, listened for more than an hour Thursday to pleas from about 150 people with developmental disabilities, their families and their advocates at a forum in Pasco sponsored by the Benton Franklin Counties Advocates for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities coalition.
Recent proposals developed by the Department of Social and Human Services for potential 5 percent and 10 percent budget cuts would eliminate all services for 8,600 people with developmental disabilities, or about 41 percent of the current caseload, the group said.

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