Quad squad: please respond to this devastating Gov. of Washington state. Dana
Thanks to the 408 people who have already taken action, but we need additional help with this effort! If you havent already done so, TAKE ACTION NOW: http://ly.adapt.org/wa URGE OTHER PEOPLE TO TAKE ACTION as well by forwarding this alert with a personal request that that they help! Wondering how are advocates in your state doing? You can see the responses by state below. Bruce BACKGROUND ON THE ALERT Christine Gregoire, the Democratic Governor of Washington State, is deciding if she will undercut the right of people with disabilities to live in the community! We need to urge Governor Gregoire to settle and not take the case to the Supreme Court! Because Washington state cut personal care services for approximately 45,000 Medicaid recipients on average by 10 percent, disability advocates sued the state of Washington (M.R. v. Dreyfus) using the Olmstead decision. In response to the suit, Democratic Governor Christine Gregoire argued that individuals with disabilities must be already institutionalized in order to be protected under the Olmstead decision and that it violates the U.S. Constitution for the Americans with Disabilities Act to prevent states from cutting home and community based services, even when those cuts will cause institutionalization. The Circuit court disagreed with Governor Gregoire. Now, Governor Gregoire is considering an appeal to the Supreme Court! She wants to maintain control of her budget, but is putting the rights of people with disabilities at risk. If she takes the case to the Supreme Court, they could take the opportunity to turn back the clock on our rights. The disability community in Washington state has urged Governor Gregoire to settle this case without going to the Supreme Court, but she has been unwilling to do so. TAKE ACTION NOW Use the following link to contact key people within the Gregoire administration and the national leaders in the Democratic Party to urge Governor Gregoire to settle this case. http://ly.adapt.org/wa ACTION ALERT RESPONSES AS OF 8/23/2012 State....Count Alabama....1 Arizona....14 Arkansas....10 California....26 Colorado....11 Connecticut....2 Delaware....2 Florida....11 Georgia....8 Idaho....1 Illinois....15 Indiana....1 Iowa....3 Kansas....9 Kentucky....1 Maryland....2 Massachusetts....10 Michigan....2 Minnesota....2 Montana....2 Nevada....1 New Jersey....4 New Mexico....1 New York....159 North Carolina....2 North Dakota....1 Ohio....4 Oklahoma....1 Oregon....5 Pennsylvania....16 South Dakota....1 Tennessee....2 Texas....25 Utah....1 Vermont....1 Virginia....2 Washington....4 West Virginia....1 Wisconsin....44 TOTAL....408 NATIONAL ADAPT MAILING LIST - Adapt Community Choice Act List http://www.adapt.org
