Texans are fighting for their civil rights

Nursing Homes are the most expensive and least desirable form of long-term care. Governors and State legislatures facing budget problems tend to pilfer the budgets for home and community based long-term services rather than cut funding of costly institutions.

Twenty-five ADAPT advocates were arrested last week when the Texas Legislature failed to sign a pledge to protect services to Texans with disabilities. Currently, over 80,000 people are on Texas’ waiting list for attendant services while no one waits for nursing home services. The US Supreme Court ruled in the 1999 Olmstead decision that inappropriate institutionalization of people with disabilities was discrimination and that states were to provide state services in the most integrated setting.

The Texas cut in could end attendant services to 20,000 people and leave several hundred thousand citizens without prescription drug benefits. Oddly, the state is not suggesting terminating the drug benefits to people in nursing homes.

-Tim Wheat

The following is from Stephanie Thomas who is at the demonstration outside the Texas Capitol:

Bob Kafka of Austin ADAPT

April 10th ADAPT of Texas held a 12 hour vigil outside the Governor's office in the Capitol, in an attempt to get the Governor, Lt. Governor and Speaker of the House on record committing to not cut almost 100,000 people off of DHS and MHMR Community Services -- yet none would commit. 25 people were arrested as they refused to leave without the commitment; 6 when the Governor closed his office at 5:00pm and 19 more then when the Capitol was closed at 10:00pm.

ADAPT members from El Paso/Desert ADAPT, Beaumont/Nederland, Port Arthur, Georgetown, Austin, Bay City and Bastrop were in there to try and stop the destruction of the community services infrastructure and the ruining of 100,000 people's lives when they are dumped from services.

At the end of the Senate session for the day, the Lt Governor, accompanied by Senator Zaffirini did come to meet with the protesters and said that he and Senators were "trying hard" but in the end did not finally commit to no cuts. Some other legislators also came to show support, as did several members of the disability and civil rights community).

Stephanie Thomas of Texas ADAPT

Around 4:00 pmc the Governor's staff offered a meeting with the Governor in a week; however, ADAPT felt the offer was not genuine for 4 reasons: many of our out-of-town representatives will be gone by then, no commitment was offered, it was to be just with the Governor -- not the Speaker or the Lt. Governor, and by then the process will be MUCH farther along -- many would say too far. And so at the end of the day they arrested those who would not leave voluntarily.

The following day the Senate Finance Committee marked up the Health and Human Services part of their budget bill, and added about 50,000 people back onto services. However our House budget bill goes to the floor tomorrow Tues. 4/15 (how ironic!) and they may be cutting even deeper than the 100,000 sited above.

We are keeping up the fight, and we appreciate the support y'all have sent!

- Stephanie Thomas (ADAPT)