DDD Funding Bill Hits Impasse

Republicans have been working overtime to pass an emergency funding bill for disability services, but efforts to resolve the impasse and end the emergency created by Governor Katie Hobbs continues to hit roadblocks. Two alternative measures were circulated today but one was opposed by a small number of conservative lawmakers including Representatives Olson and Chaplik, while another was opposed by more moderate lawmakers, led by Representatives Martinez and Biasiucci.

“By now leadership and most of the caucus have done what they can,” lamented one observer, “but there is no solution that will bring together 31 Republicans, so they’re going to have to get a deal done with Democrats if they want to meet the deadline.”

There is broad support among Republicans to move funding from other funds and give it to the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DD), but a handful of Republicans including Olson and Weninger objected, scuttling one alternative. As expected, Democrats want all of the funding to come from the general fund. There are also major disagreements over the guardrails that should be set up around the program to ensure no such crisis should occur again in the future.

House Speaker Steve Montenegro has led the effort to save the DD program, while working to add such guardrails. In his words, “…the Legislature is doing the responsible thing: funding services while putting guardrails in place to keep the program from collapsing.”

Parents and patients are nervously awaiting the outcome of the process and are hoping their needs aren’t derailed by petty politics. Already, four supporters of saving the DD program have been targeted for recall by activists who claim they aren’t doing enough.

Emergency funding must be approved by the end of the month or caregivers will not get paid on time and services will be in jeopardy. “It will get done,” said the activist, “it is just going to cost more now and have fewer controls on it.”