Speakers seek state support for mental health, education at budget meeting

Jan. 08--A stream of speakers asked for more support for mental health programs and education during a public hearing Thursday on Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe's proposed two-year state budget.

Among the speakers at the University of Mary Washington were advocates, health care workers and people living with the challenges they said could be improved with more funding and changes to how the system works. Many urged the House Appropriations and Senate Finance committees to support Medicaid expansion, an idea that has proven politically divisive in Virginia.

The public hearing in Fredericksburg was one of four across the state Thursday on the governor's proposed 2016-18 budget. The spending plan calls for $109 billion to pay for a range of state programs, including for mental health care, education and childcare--the three central topics the more than 60 speakers addressed. Many of them asked the lawmakers to support the Medicaid expansion McAuliffe is asking for.

Expanding the federal health care program is something most Republicans lawmakers oppose, including House Speaker Bill Howell of Stafford County, who was not at the hearing.

McAuliffe contends that by not expanding the Medicaid program, Virginia is losing out on $2.4 billion a year in federal funds. Speakers at Thursday's hearing said the program would improve the lives of many and allow those who can't afford insurance to get coverage.

Two people with Down Syndrome addressed the lawmakers.

Amanda Grove, 32, of Louisa County, and her mother, Martha, said additional mental health care funding would help Amanda lead a more normal life so she could pursue writing, art, dancing and perhaps eventually teach sign language.

They pleaded with the lawmakers to support budget initiatives that would reduce the wait for and make other changes to a Medicaid waiver program for those with special needs. Amanda Grove has been on a waiting list for state aid for 15 years.

Martha Grove said her daughter, like many others, has fallen through the cracks in the current system, and added that changes to the program could help Amanda live more independently. If that happened, she said, it would mean a better life for Amanda, as well as Martha Grover and her husband.

John Franklin Stephens, a 33-year-old Special Olympics athlete and actor with Down Syndrome, spoke eloquently and with humor when he asked for improved mental health care programs.

"We know the difference between a handout and a hand up," said Stephens, who drew some laughs when he wondered why Taylor Swift wasn't at the meeting he got up so early to attend.

It was a rare light-hearted moment during the four-hour hearing, as many speakers gave emotional accounts of the issues in their lives they say are caused by poor health care programs and funding.

McAuliffe's budget includes funding for those programs and others many of the speakers supported during the hearing, including $6.9 million dollars in new funding to the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation.

Representatives of the state's education association said that while the budget is an improvement, more increases than proposed are needed to recover from $1.6 billion in cuts since 2009.

Jim Livingston, the president of the Prince William Education Association and also a member of the state association's board of directors, told the lawmakers that Virginia ranks 41st in the nation in per-pupil spending and worst in the nation for teacher salaries.

McAuliffe has billed his budget as education friendly, with $1 billion in investments for K-12 schools and colleges.

The proposed budget also includes funding for improvements to the juvenile justice system, which several of the public hearing speakers said are needed.

Scott Shenk: 540/374-5436 sshenk@freelancestar.com

Scott Shenk: 540.374.5436

sshenk@freelancestar.com

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