W&M Bam!

This early edition of the Olympia Insider is a slap dash report on the Senate Ways & Means budget proposals just released at noon today. In short -- this budget is long on funding increases.  In a session that began as dreary as the epic days of endless rainfall, the outlook is (at least for today) pretty bright.

Highlights:

• Employment/Day Servcices -- $1.4 million (state funding) for 300 high school transition graduates to receive employment/day services;

• Family Support -- $1.0 million (state funding) for 700 families waiting to receive family support services;

• Expanding Community Services -- $2.0 million (state and federal funding) for 19 individuals to receive community residential services;

• Unmet Need Study -- $300 thousand (state funding) for a study of the needs of people with developmental disabilities and their families who are not receiving DD services;

• DD Community Protection Legal Services -- $300,000 (state funding) to provide funding for legal services to individuals with developmental disabilities entering or receiving services in the DD community protection program;

• DDD CAse Resource Managers -- $1.2 million (state and federal funding) for an additional twelve case resource managers and related support staff; and

• Medicare Part D Co-Pays -- $18.2 million (state funding) to cover the prescription drug co-pays for those who are dual eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.

In addition, the following funding is appropriated in other areas of the operating budget:

• DD Certification Standards -- $164 thousand (state and federal funding) to implement portions of SB 6630 that enforce sanctions against community residential providers in the DD community protection program who are found to be out of compliance with certification standards;

• Educational costs -- $3 million (state funding) for additional educational costs of children residing in staffed residential homes;

• Home Care Provider Collective Bargaining -- $241 thousand (state and federal) to implement HB 5724 -- collective bargaining of hours for home care workers when DSHS rules and policies affect the number of service hours.

What ever happened to...?

• DD Provider wage increase -- no funding was included in the Senate Ways & Means budget recommendations to address the need for a DD provider wage increase.

As usual, there's a whirlwind of activity on the hill as the Senate budget hits the ground and surviving bills are faced with moving through their opposite chamber at twice the speed of their houses of origin.  In other words it's business as usual, only faster. 

Senate Ways & Means is holding a public hearing on its budget recommendations, after which it will make some changes through amendements.  Next, it will run through the mill of the Senate floor where additional changes can be made.

House Appropriations is expected to release its budget next week.  After that, it's time to advocate for the best of both budgets as the two chambers negotiate a compromised budget that will be agreeable to the Governor. 

For a side by side comparison of the Senate and Governor's budget recommendations for developmental disabilities, visit: http://www.arcwa.org/2006_budget.htm.

For a comprehensive look at the Senate supplemental budget proposals, visit: http://leap.leg.wa.gov/leap/budget/detail/2006/os2006p.asp

Take Action:
Thank Sen. Margarita Prentice (D-11), chair of Ways & Means, for a budget that values children and adults with developmental disabilities.  Then, call the toll-free legislative hotline or email each of your elected officials separately and ask them to support the items you feel strongly about.

Toll-Free Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000

House Members Email

Senate Members Email

The next cut off date for bills to make it out of all committees (except fiscal and transportation) is a week from Friday -- February 24th. It's all downhill from there (or uphill, depending on how things are going). A few bills of impacting individuals with developmental disabilities are still on track, but need help in order to keep moving.

Birth to Three Early Intervention Services
SHB 1107, passed the House unanimously and its companion legislation (SSB 5141) passed the Senate with a vote of 46; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 3 (view roll call of votes on the link to the bill). Two bills are always better than one, but in the end just one will survive and (hopefully) to get to the Governor's desk.
Take Action: Thank Rep. MaryLou Dickerson (D-36), the sponsor of HB 1107 and Senator Marilyn Rasmussen (D-2), sponsor of SB 5141, for their leadership in passing this legislation out of the House and Senate. Also thank everyone who voted to support these bills.  As the bills flip flop to their opposite chamber, you can contact members of the Senate Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education committee to urge their support for SHB 1107, and members of the House Education committee to do the same for SSB 5141. Let members of these committees know how important it is for school districts to participate in birth-to-three early intervention services. Ask them to support SHB 1107 and SSB 5141.

Disability Access Voting
Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2479 — Voting equipment— passed the House just under the wire of Tuesday's deadline with a vote of yeas, 96; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 2 (view roll call of votes on the link to the bill). The bill includes all people with disabilities and establishes county advisory councils to meet the diverse needs for accessible voting machines at the local level.
Take Action: Please thank the bill's sponsor, Rep. Kathy Haigh (D-35), as well as Rep. Toby Nixon (R-45) for increasing voting accessibility for people with disabilities. And thank those who also voted to pass the bill.  Next: Call or email members of Senate Government Operations & Elections, and ask them to help pass Substitute House Bill 2479 — Voting equipment for people with disabilities.

Affordable Housing
Substitute House Bill 2418 — Increasing the availability of affordable housing -- passed out of the House earlier this week by a vote of yeas, 72; nays, 24; absent, 0; excused, 2 (view roll call of votes on the link to the bill). The bill, sponsored by Rep. Springer (D-45), takes advantage of the hot housing market to leverage increased real estate excise taxes for the benefit of people who cannot buy into the run-away market. For people with developmental disabilities, this bill adds $1.25 million to the Housing Trust Fund DD Set-Aside.
Take Action: Thank the bill's sponsor, Rep. Miloscia, as well as representatives who voted to pass the bill.  Next, contact members of Senate Financial Institutions, Housing & Consumer Protection and ask for their support of SHB 2418 -- affordable housing.

Help for DD Service Providers
Substitute House Bill 2759 -- relating to the transfer of certain real property and facilities -- passed the House by a vote of yeas, 96; nays, 2; absent, 0; excused, 0 (view roll call of votes on the link to the bill). Sponsored by Rep. Ericks (D-1), it helps certain non-profit DD service providers stay in business by allowing public entities to transfer property to them. It's limited to properties that were improved or acquired using Referendum 29 or 37 bonds.
Take Action: Thank the bill's sponsor, Rep. Ericks, as well as legislators who voted to pass it along to the Senate.  Next, contact members of Senate Government Operations & Elections and ask for their support of SHB 2759.

For a complete list of all the bills we've been tracking, visit: http://capwiz.com/arcwa/issues/bills/?state=WA  

Thanks to You

The Arc of Washington State thanks the following organizations for ensuring that the voice of developmental disabilities was heard this week: The Arc of King County, Autism Society of Washington, the Developmental Disabilities Council, Tumwater High School Transition Program, Parent Coalition of King County, Parent Coalition of Clark County, Parent Coalition of Yakima County, People First of Snohomish County, People First of Clark County, People First of Lewis County, Self Advocates in Leadership, Voices in Action, Washington Protection & Advocacy.

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