By Cathy Brown

The Missouri Senate finished its work on the Fiscal Year 2018 budget last week, and harmful cuts for people with disabilities remained in place.

Below is an update on where we stand on several of the budget issues we’ve been telling you about, and what you can do about the cuts they are still considering.

Centers for Independent Living

In the Senate, one of the major changes from the House version was to strip $3.5 million of funding for Centers for Independent Living.

Paraquad is one of 22 Centers for Independent Living (CILs) in Missouri. Our general revenue dollars, the ones on the chopping block, allow us to provide core services mandated by the state and federal legislation. Like all the CILs, Paraquad provides valuable services, benefiting more than 3,000 people with disabilities and their families each year.

The budget will go to the full Senate and then to a conference committee, which will be made up of Senate Appropriations Committee members as well as House Budget Committee members, before being finalized. You can impact this cut by contacting your senator or members of the House Budget Committee.

If you have been positively impacted by any of our programs and services, please contact Conference Committee members and ask them to reinstate funding for Centers for Independent Living.

House Bill 2 Conference Committee Members:

Rep. Justin Alfterman – justin.alferman@house.mo.gov or 573-751-6668

Rep. Michael Butler – michael.butler@house.mo.gov or 573-751-6800

Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick – scott.fitzpatrick@house.mo.gov or 573-751-1488

Rep. Kip Kendrick – kip.kendrick@house.mo.gov or 573-751-4189

Rep. Lyle Rowland – lyle.rowland@house.mo.gov or 573-751-2042

Sen. Dan Brown – dan.brown@senate.mo.gov or or 573-751-5713

As of this publication, Senate Conference Committee members have not been appointed. They will be chosen from members of the Appropriations Committee, listed below. They should be appointed when the Senate convenes May 1, 2017, at 4 p.m.

Sen. Ryan Silvey – ryan.silvey@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-5282

Sen. Mike Cunningham – mike.cunningham@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-1882

Sen. Kiki Curls – shalonn.curls@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-3158

Sen. Dan Hegeman – dan.hegeman@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-1415

Sen. Jason Holsman – jason.holsman@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-6607

Sen. Denny Hoskins – denny.hoskins@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-4302

Sen. Jamillah Nasheed – jamilah.nasheed@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-4415

Sen. David Sater – david.sater@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-1480

Sen. Rob Schaaf – rob.schaaf@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-2183

Sen. Wayne Wallingford – wayne.wallingford@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-2459

Consumer Directed Services

Consumer Directed Services level of care and provider rate:

In his initial budget, Gov. Eric Greitens proposed changing the level of care from 21 points to 27 points.

The House budget committee, through a series of amendments and proposed bills (HCB3), recommends leaving the level of care eligibility at 21 points.

The Senate moved the Level of Care to 24 points. The Conference Committee will decide which position to support. It is estimated that increasing the Level of Care to 24 points will impact over 8,000 individuals with disabilities, leaving them with no attendant services at all.

In conference, the committee could vote to go with the House or Senate position or, in a rare move, vote to “exceed the difference” and go to 27 points, which was the governor’s original recommendation, cutting off all supportive services for over 20,000 people with disabilities.

In addition, the Senate recommends a 3 percent cut to provider rates, leaving virtually no  opportunity for attendants that provide care to people to get a raise.

Please contact members TODAY and let them know cutting services for people with disabilities is not the right way to balance the budget.

House Bill 10 Conference Committee Members:

Rep. Justin Alfterman – justin.alferman@house.mo.gov or 573-751-6668

Rep. Scott Fitzpatrick – scott.fitzpatrick@house.mo.gov or 573-751-1488

Rep. David Wood – david.wood@house.mo.gov or 573-751-2077

Rep. Deb Lavendar – deb.lavendar@house.mo.gov or 573-751-4069

Rep. Crystal Quade – crystal.quade@house.mo.gov or 573-751-3795

Sen. Dan Brown – dan.brown@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-5713

As of this publication, Senate Conference Committee members have not been appointed. They will be chosen from members of the Appropriations Committee, listed below. They should be appointed when the Senate convenes May 1, 2017, at 4 p.m.

Sen. Ryan Silvey – ryan.silvey@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-5282

Sen. Mike Cunningham – mike.cunningham@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-1882

Sen. Kiki Curls – shalonn.curls@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-3158

Sen. Dan Hegeman – dan.hegeman@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-1415

Sen. Jason Holsman – jason.holsman@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-6607

Sen. Denny Hoskins – denny.hoskins@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-4302

Sen. Jamillah Nasheed – jamilah.nasheed@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-4415

Sen. David Sater – david.sater@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-1480

Sen. Rob Schaaf – rob.schaaf@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-2183

Sen. Wayne Wallingford – wayne.wallingford@senate.mo.gov or 573-751-2459

Consumer Directed Services capping of services at 60% of nursing home cost. 

This would arbitrarily limit services for those with the most need to no more than 3.45 hours per day.

Despite three attempts on the Senate floor this week to amend the budget to protect people with the most significant disabilities who will see their services slashed, the Senate moved forward a budget that includes this cut.

Thank you to Sen. Rob Schaaf and Sen. Scott Sifton for offering amendments to protect these services. Each lost by very narrow margins of 2-3 votes.

For those who utilize services, we will keep you posted with any information about the roll out of the cuts, other resources that may be available and ways to make your voice heard.

Cathy Brown is the Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at Paraquad. She can be reached at cbrown@paraquad.org or on Twitter at @Cathy__Brown.

Photo credit: Danielle Kellogg