This action is complete – thank you for taking part.
Dear Harc Families and Friends,
We are still shocked and saddened by the horrific events in Newtown. The loss of so many precious lives is just so senseless and our hearts and prayers go out to the families who are grieving so deeply.
In the wake of such a terrible loss, it is hard to direct our attention to other issues whose importance may pale in comparison to the tragedy in Newtown. But this week, the legislature will move forward in considering an additional $5.6 million cuts to the DDS budget, bringing the total cuts to over $26 million.
The legislature will go into special session on December 19 and 20 to review the Governor’s budget cuts and vote to approve his proposals. There is still time to contact your legislators to let them know how these cuts will hurt every person receiving DDS Services.
The ARC of Connecticut has offered these three very effective steps in communicating with your legislator about the impact of the budget cuts:
Call or email the legislative leadership
Calls to the leadership of both parties should be made from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Please follow-up your phone calls with emails. Key legislators who will be directly involved in budget negotiations are listed below. You can call them by using the numbers below and asking the receptionist to connect you to their office.
- Speaker of the House Chris Donovan – 860-240-8500
- House Majority Leader Brendan Sharkey – 860-240-8500
- House Majority Leader Joe Aresimowicz – 860-240-8585
- Senate President Don Williams – 860-240-8600
- Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney – 860-240-8600
- House Republican Leader Larry Cafero – 860-240-8600
- Senate Republican Leader John McKinney – 860-240-8700
When you call: Give your name and address. If you are a constituent, say so. Tell them about your child and the services she/he receives. Explain what her/his life and your family’s life would be like without those services. Ask them to restore funding to the DDS budget and protect these services from further cuts.
Follow-up Email: Please follow-up your phone calls with emails.
SAVE THE DATE!
Rally at theLegislative Office Building in Hartford on January 30, 2013 at 10:00 am. More info to follow.
Contact Other families
Share this information and ask them to join forces with you, self advocates and providers to protect the services their children receive.
Questions? Please visit our advocacy page