Saturday the SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE that has the power to fix SOME of the problems with this year's budget is taking PUBLIC TESTIMONY. Yes, it is a holiday weekend but if you can get to BR on Saturday for 9 am and witness and be heard - it is important.
AN EXAMPLE - Currently the House passed budget cut abut $237 million from the Health Department - cuts that would cost $500 million more in lost federal match so the total effect would be three quarters of a billion dollars - devastating cuts to health. There is about $200 million in money the House has refused to budget at all that could go a long way toward relieving these cuts and others.
Message to email, call and include in your testimony to your Senators and the members of the Senate Finance Committee:
Please pass a budget that invests all available funding on the critical needs we have - Please don't leave $200 million in available funds on the table that should be invested in healthcare, higher education, and safety net programs that are being short changed in the House Budget.
Email addresses for whole Senate Finance Committee (and send your senator a message separately:
lafleure@legis.la.gov; allainb@legis.la.gov; appelc@legis.la.gov;barrowr@legis.la.gov; bishopw@legis.la.gov; donahuej@legis.la.gov;fanninj@legis.la.gov; hewitts@legis.la.gov; johnsr@legis.la.gov;tarverg@legis.la.gov; whitem@legis.la.gov; chabertn@legis.la.gov;morrishd@legis.la.gov; thompsof@legis.la.gov;walsworthm@legis.la.gov
