Come to NASW WI’s 2011 lobby day and fight the draconian cuts in the 2011-2013 state budget! Lobby day takes place on April 13, 2011 at the Madison Masonic Center and the State Capitol. You can register online on this website (click advocacy on the home page and then click lobby day) and registration ends on March 30
th
. At lobby day you will be trained in the lobby day issues, which will include the state budget, and you will have an opportunity to meet with your State Senator, State Representative and/or their staff at the State Capitol.
The cuts proposed by Governor Walker in his 2011-2013 budget are unprecedented and include: huge cuts to public school funding; cuts in aid to cities and counties (which would impact child abuse and neglect and other human services); huge cuts in Medicaid; huge cuts in the university system; elimination of family planning funding; increased co pays for child care for low income working families; decrease in the W-2 grant for low income working individuals; and reduction in the earned income tax rebate for low income wage earners.
Aside from the state budget, other lobby day issues include; school funding, the “Patient Abandonment Act”, the “Child Victims Act”, changing the age of mandatory referral to adult court from 17 to 18, loan forgiveness for social workers and mental health parity.
At this time that the social support network for the state’s most vulnerable citizens is threatened to an unprecedented level and the quality of life for all Wisconsin citizens is equally threatened, we all need to speak out, similar to what the tens of thousands of Wisconsin residents have done in Madison and throughout the state over the last month.
Let’s show the state legislators the “Power of Social Work”!
For more information about lobby day contact Laurel Schmidt at the NASW WI chapter office toll-free at 866-462-7994 or (608) 257-6334 or by email at
naswwiintern@tds.net
.