| SUMMARY
In
the last two weeks, House budget leaders have proposed cutting numerous
health and human services programs and public education funds. These
cuts would result in thousands of children losing services, children
and adults going untreated and some program being eliminated. These new
cuts are particularly devastating since they fall on the heels of 3 ½ years
of budget cutting to HHS, Juvenile Justice, and Public Education due
to revenue shortfalls (not enough money to pay for what we already have).
The cuts are particularly offensive since Governor Easley’s budget
plan does not include most of them. On Thursday, the NC House unveiled
its budget for the first time and it went to the full Appropriations
Committee on Friday where numerous amendments were made, but few passed
that changed any funding decisions. A few painful proposed cuts did not
find their way into this version, but others remain. The House budget
is expected to go before the full House on Monday at 5pm, with a final
vote on Tuesday.
CONTACT LEGISLATORS BEFORE TUESDAY, JUNE 8 at NOON Let them know
Three and One-Half Years of Cutting Is Enough!
Ask them for NO CUTS and MORE SERVICES!
If
you have not yet contacted your Representatives,
NOW IS THE TIME TO LET YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
KNOW YOUR VIEWS. Let’s
Flood Them With Calls and Email!
CLICK
HERE TO CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS BY EMAIL - it takes less than
5 minutes to be a cyber-lobbyist!
The cyber-lobby site is easy and fun! Tell a friend!
| PLUS - CALL THE SPEAKERS OF THE HOUSE |
| |
Richard
Morgan (R-Moore) 919-715-3010
and Jim Black (D-Mecklenburg) 919-733-3451 |
| CUTS
MADE IN THE HOUSE BUDGET: |
| $ |
2,000
CHILDREN CUT OFF CHILD CARE SUBSIDY PROGRAM: $8m less allocated for
child care subsidies than needed. |
| $ |
13,000
KIDS UNINSURED BECAUSE HEALTH CHOICE PROGRAM TO BE FROZEN: NO funds allocated to cover enrollment growth. |
| $ |
3,000
CHILDREN WOULD LOSE HEALTH CHOICE AND MEDICAID COVERAGE: Due
to elimination of 1 year continuous eligibility for children
in Health Choice and Medicaid. |
| $ |
THOUSANDS
REMAIN UNSERVED FOR MENTAL ILLNESS, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
OR SUBSTANCE ABUSE: $10m cut from area mental health programs. |
| $ |
| PUBLIC
SCHOOL FUNDS CUT |
| • |
$1.4
million cut from continually low-performing schools so
that far fewer schools receive addition money to reduce
class sizes further and add teacher
workdays for special training in an effort to help more children pass end
of grade tests. |
| • |
o More
unidentified cuts made to local school systems – the
State Board of Ed would notify each local system how much
it must cut and the local system later reports to the state
where they made the cuts. |
|
| $ |
| JUVENILE
JUSTICE IN LIMBO OR UNDERFUNDED |
| • |
Funding
for new Youth Development Centers remains uncertain although
many of the current buildings housing juveniles in the
criminal system are unsafe due to their poor condition. |
| • |
Only
$500,000 was provided for 10 of the 100 Juvenile Crime
Prevention Councils in spite of acute need for
local services for juveniles in criminal system. |
|
| $ |
| CHILD
PROTECTION SERVICES UNDERFUNDED, SOME EVEN CUT |
| • |
$800,000
cut from training for Child Welfare workers in spite of a
House Study Committee that just reported in April that additional
funding for training is needed. |
| • |
No
funding to take the new Multiple Response System to every
county, rather the House budget would provide only $1 million
to continue training county staff in how to use the MRS that
they have no hope to get before the next fiscal year - July
2005. |
| • |
No
funding for ONE staff person for the Child Fatality Task
Force. |
|
| $ |
DSS
AUTOMATION CUT AGAIN
$5.4 million cut from maintaining state DSS’s Welfare Automation systemwhich actually needs millions more in order to modernize the system so it can
do the work necessary to help children and families, and to meet federal requirements.
$2.7 million to go to NC FAST automation system, but this is only portion of
what is needed and doesn’t make up for this much larger loss. |
| $ |
TEEN
PREGENANCY PREVENTION CUT AGAIN
$500,000 cut in TANF funding for Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Initiatives putting
18 pregnancy prevention projects at risk of elimination. |
|
