ACTION ALERT from Stop Special Needs Vouchers, 12 March 2015
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Stop Special Needs Vouchers
Mar 12, 2015, 9:04:17 AM3/12/15
to J Juhnke
Greetings from Stop Special Needs Vouchers -- please forward widely!
The proposed state biennial budget was released at the beginning of February, and the next step is for the Joint Finance Committee to make changes before sending the budget on to the Senate and Assembly. NOW is the time to speak out for students with disabilities!
The Joint Finance Committee has scheduled the following times and locations for public hearings on the budget proposal. If you can attend, show up early to get on the list, and plan to stay until your name is called (could be a long day!) Testimony may be limited to 2-3 minutes.
- March 18th Brillion High School 10AM-5PM
- March 20th Alverno College in Milwaukee 10AM-5PM
- March 23rd UW Barron County in Rice Lake 10AM-5PM
- March 26th CAL Auditorium in Reedsburg 9:30AM-4PM
Find the hearing addresses at http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lfb/jfc/pages/schedule.aspx.
- March 21st Wausau: UW Marathon from 12:00 PM-4:00 PM
- March 21st Rhinelander: Nicolet College, 10:00 AM-2:00 PM
- March 24th Green Bay: Kress Library from 4:00 PM-7:00 PM
- March 28th Menominee 10:00 AM-2:00 PM (Location TBD) – we will update as more is known on the TBDs
- March 28th Platteville 12:00 PM-4:00 PM (Location TBD)
- March 30th Oshkosh 4:00 PM -7:00 PM (Location TBD)
The Good News:
Unlike the situation in 2013/2015, this year’s budget proposal does NOT contain anything about special needs vouchers. However, one of the perennial co-sponsors of past special-needs voucher legislation (Sen. Leah Vukmir) now sits on the Joint Finance Committee; and it is possible that special needs vouchers may be proposed and slipped into the budget at the last minute. We need to let the Joint Finance Committee know: our opposition to special needs vouchers remains as strong as ever, and we call upon the committee to keep these harmful vouchers OUT of the state budget.
The Bad News:
- All of the increases in aids for special education funding recommended by the Department of Public Instruction were REJECTED. Since we have already had six years of flat-funding for special education in Wisconsin, this would bring the total to eight years, while the percentage of state support relative to the need has continued to erode
. - The recommended improvements to the open enrollment program for students with special needs (including eliminating "undue financial burden") were REJECTED.
- The enrollment caps for the statewide "regular" voucher program are to DISAPPEAR, allowing public education funding to drain into private schools that neither have to follow the IDEA, nor appropriately educate students with disabilities, nor even have special educators on staff. Even though students with special needs are not directly targeted with this proposal, all the concerns about private school vouchers and disabilities still apply.
- Under the proposed budget, $150/child will be eliminated from every school district in the state for the coming school year. School boards will be unable to make up the loss, so this will be a very real cut to districts.
Please raise your voice on any or all of these that are important to you and your children!
CAN YOU ATTEND A HEARING?
If so, let us know by email: stopspecialn...@gmail.com. We can work to connect you with other advocates, and get you a Stop Special Needs Vouchers t-shirt if you want one!
CAN YOU CONTACT THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE?
This one is easy! There is a single e-mail address for budget comments to Joint Finance:
BudgetC...@legis.wisconsin.gov
Please be sure to send a copy to your own legislator as well: you can search for their contact information in the upper right search-box at http://legis.wisconsin.gov/
You can also send comments to the Joint Finance Committee via postal mail to:
Joe Malkasian
Room 305 East, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53702
Finally, it is also helpful to e-mail the members of the Joint Finance Committee individually. You can find their names, contact information, and photographs on this helpful handout from the Board for People with Developmental Disabilities:
http://www.wi-bpdd.org/docs/2015/Joint-Committee-on-Finance-Members-2015.pdf
THANK YOU!
And please contact Stop Special Needs Vouchers with any questions or concerns!
CAN YOU ATTEND A HEARING?
If so, let us know by email: stopspecialn...@gmail.com. We can work to connect you with other advocates, and get you a Stop Special Needs Vouchers t-shirt if you want one!
CAN YOU CONTACT THE JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEE?
This one is easy! There is a single e-mail address for budget comments to Joint Finance:
BudgetC...@legis.wisconsin.gov
Please be sure to send a copy to your own legislator as well: you can search for their contact information in the upper right search-box at http://legis.wisconsin.gov/
You can also send comments to the Joint Finance Committee via postal mail to:
Joe Malkasian
Room 305 East, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53702
Finally, it is also helpful to e-mail the members of the Joint Finance Committee individually. You can find their names, contact information, and photographs on this helpful handout from the Board for People with Developmental Disabilities:
http://www.wi-bpdd.org/docs/2015/Joint-Committee-on-Finance-Members-2015.pdf
THANK YOU!
And please contact Stop Special Needs Vouchers with any questions or concerns!
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Disability Advocacy Day, Tue. Mar. 17 in Madison -- Today (Thursday March 12) is the Last Day to Register!
Hosted by the Survival Coalition of Wisconsin Disability Organizations (who share our concern and opposition to special needs vouchers).
Tuesday March 17, Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison, WI
Tuesday March 17, Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison, WI
Check in starts at 9:00 am, with issue briefing (across a variety of disability-related issues) at 10:30 am -- followed by strategizing, lunch, and then legislative visits! It would be great to have a substantial showing from SSNV activists to make sure our legislators hear our opposition to special needs vouchers, loud and clear...
This is a great way to visit your legislator's office with an appointment already set up, with an assigned facilitator to help you get to the appointment, and other attendees so it isn't just you!
Registration is free, but you must register and attend the briefing to participate.
Registration is free, but you must register and attend the briefing to participate.
Registration link: http://www.survivalcoalitionwi.org/index.php/events/
Lunch is on your own, or you may purchase a lunch when you register. Lunch cost: $10.00.
For those who have blue Survival T-shirts from last year, please wear them! (Survival T-shirts will be available for those who don't have them).
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Lunch is on your own, or you may purchase a lunch when you register. Lunch cost: $10.00.
For those who have blue Survival T-shirts from last year, please wear them! (Survival T-shirts will be available for those who don't have them).
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For an introduction to Stop Special Needs Vouchers, visit our website at:
http://www.stopspecialneedsvouchers.org/about/
For a list of past SSNV press coverage, visit our In the News page at
http://www.stopspecialneedsvouchers.org/in-the-news/
To subscribe to these mailings, or to unsubscribe, send e-mail to
stopspecialneedsvouchers@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/StopSpecialNeedsVouchers
For an introduction to Stop Special Needs Vouchers, visit our website at:
http://www.stopspecialneedsvouchers.org/about/
For a list of past SSNV press coverage, visit our In the News page at
http://www.stopspecialneedsvouchers.org/in-the-news/
To subscribe to these mailings, or to unsubscribe, send e-mail to
stopspecialneedsvouchers@gmail.com
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