May 20, 2013
Your Monday Morning Update
For the past 11 years, May 20th is a bittersweet day for me. Today would have been my dear Mother’s 92nd birthday.
Even during the cranky years (you all had those years I’m sure), I always considered Mom my “Angel”. She was not only MY Angel, but my sister’s. My older sister is a warm and beautiful woman who happens to have a developmental disability.
When my sister was young, there were no community-based services for folks with disabilities. Schools didn’t have programs for individuals that were “different”. My Mom, along with a multitude of like-minded parents, fought hard to develop opportunities for community–based schools and services. What developed from that advocacy was magnificent…and oh so right!
I have never known anyone who fought so hard for her child…that is, until I met YOU. Your advocacy this year has been quite remarkable!
Many of you may share my opinion that politics is a game (an exhausting game). When it comes to this year’s intellectual and developmental disability (I/DD) issues, I liken it toping pong. Every time we lop the ball solidly over the net, the Administration smacks a backhand swing.
If you want the latest examples, how about these:
- Think back a week ago to Push Day (beautiful weather, beautiful people with their shared message). The visual impact and media attention it garnered was a powerful strike directly over the net.
- The next day we are slammed with the Crumm Proviso which said “it’s either inclusion in KanCare or you don’t get waiting list dollars”. That was a backhand swing.
- Last Wednesday, Representative John Rubin distributed a compelling letter to allmembers of the House. He firmly opposed the inclusion of non-medical long-term-services for I/DD in KanCare and explicitly explained his rationale.
- Representatives Rubin and Lusk began gathering signatures of support for a delay. Their hope was to capture signatures from a majority of the House (63 signatures or more). As of Monday morning, the count looks promising. This list will then be presented to the House Speaker, Ray Merrick.
- With a majority of the House supporting a delay, the hope is that the Speaker will allow that a proviso be added to the Conference Committee Budget Bill.
We whacked a solid wallop.
- On Thursday, each Republican member of the House received a letter signed by House leadership. In essence, the letter said the leadership does not support the delay of I/DD long-term care from KanCare.
- The letter went on to say that WE (yes…that means you and me) “are making every effort to undermine the state’s ability to improve DD services and address the DD waiting list”.
- It revealed that the pilot is up and running (which is quite a stretch in my opinion).
- Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the letter discussed how WE were resistant to the passage of the DD Reform Act, but fortunately the legislature made the right decision and forced us into it. Sadly, most legislators aren’t familiar with the history of that powerful legislation and don’t understand that WE fought for it!
This volley is classified as a topspin backhand slice with a twist.
During this next critical week, remember that it’s not how hard we hit; it’s how consistent and how smart we play.
So today, please send both your Senator and your Representative an email asking them to support a delay of I/DD long-term-supports into KanCare. Your legislators may say there isn’t a vehicle for it, but because we play consistently AND smart, we are confident that there will be!
Keep those fingers crossed (but not during a volley)!
Warm regards,
Lurena Mead
JCDS Community Relations Manager
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