Public policy for the people, 2018 January 8

Volume 4, Issue 1 2018 Legislative Session January 8th, 2018

Call to Action: Sign up for 2018 Advocacy Days and ask five friends to do the same.

Hello fearless advocates,
It is day one of the Georgia General Assembly and that means Public Policy for the People is back! For our new readers, Public Policy for the People is GCDD's bi-monthly legislative enewsletter. It will keep you up to date on the happenings of the Georgia General Assembly, how that might impact Georgians with disabilities, and what you can do to influence the process. We hope you will stick with us over the next three months as we embark on the civic adventure that is Georgia's state legislature.
Talk with you soon, Your Public Policy Team

Keep Up to Date:

Looking Ahead

Catch our weekly phone call, every Monday during session at 9:30am. Dial in at 1-888-355-1249, Code: 232357. First call will occur January 16 on account of MLK Day. Join our Advocacy Network Read Public Policy for the People: 1/16, 1/29, 2/12, 2/26, 3/12, 3/26

2018 GCDD Advocacy Days
Jan 23: DD Waivers Jan 31: Employment Feb 14: Medicaid Feb 22: Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Feb 15: UNLOCK! Coalition Mar 15: Medicaid

Who are my state legislators?

Click here to register online!

Be in the Know: Rumblings Under the Gold Dome
What are GCDD's legislative priorities?
1. Increasing funding for DD Waivers so people can move off the NOW/COMP waiting list and receive the community-based supports they need
2. Prioritizing funded supports for competitive integrated employment opportunities
3. Ensuring level funding for Inclusive Post Secondary Education 4. Protecting Medicaid in Georgia 5. Removing barriers that result in children growing up in nursing facilities or private
institutions
What is GCDD supporting?
1. Creating an Elder & Disabled Abuser Registry (CO-AGE Led) 2. Funding Aging & Disability Resource Centers (CO-AGE Led) -Click here for a quick
Advocacy Ask! 3. Lowering the standard to prove intellectual disability in Georgia for capital punishment
cases (P.A.P.E Coalition Led) 4. Furthering the UNLOCK! Coalition's Goals
What are my next advocacy steps?
1. Signing up for GCDD's Advocacy Days here! 2. Participating in Lt Governor Cagle's survey so that he knows what
issues are important to us! Check the 'Other' box, and type in 'making HCBS services for people with disabilities, such as competitive integrated employment, a priority in 2018.'

Bicameral: A fancy way of saying the Georgia General Assembly is made up of the House of Representatives & the Senate, as opposed to just having one.
Two Year Cycle: Every two years, the all members in the Georgia General Assembly run for re-election & all pending bills are wiped clean. We are in year two, which means that all bills introduced last year are still in play through the 2018 Session.
How does a bill become a law?

Other Days of Note:
Jan 8: First Day of Legislative Session Jan 11: Healthcare Unscrambled with Georgians for a Healthy Future Jan 15: March for Disability Rights in the MLK Day Jr Day Parade with disABILITY LINK Jan 16: Champions for Children Day with Easter Seals Jan 24: Autism Advocacy Day with Spectrum

Jan 25: Insights Policy Conference with Georgia Budget & Policy Institute Jan 31: Champions for Children with Independent Living Georgia Feb 7 & 8: Senior Week with CO-AGE Feb 8: Independent Living Day with the Statewide Independent Living Council Feb 15: ICM Day with the Interfaith Children's Movement Feb 26: Justice Day with the Georgia Justice Project

Visit our website

Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities | 2 Peachtree St. NW , Suite 26-246, Atlanta, GA 30303
Unsubscribe gadocs@uga.edu Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by info@gcdd.org in collaboration with