Last Thursday, we sent an urgent alert asking you to support Rep. Gene DiGirolamo’s (R-Bucks) Amendment (A10823) to the State Senate’s budget bill (SB 1466). This Amendment “kills” the Governor’s Human Services Block Grant proposal by transferring existing funding for six human service programs, together with related federal funds, back to their original appropriations.

Starting TOMORROW (June 5), the PA House will debate the state budget. Along with A10823, Rep. DiGirolamo will offer several Amendments to SB 1466, including:

• A10905, which transfers and      restores the funding for these programs back to this year’s funding levels
• A10900, which contains      language that prohibits the establishment of a Human Services Block Grant

THIS AFTERNOON (June 4), the House Republicans and Democrats will caucus separately on the budget. Your support of the above is critical. Call and/or e-mail your local House members, urging them to support Rep. DiGirolamo’s Amendments by speaking up within their caucus in support of restoring mental health and drug and alcohol funding to this year’s funding levels and in opposition to the Human Services Block Grant. They will meet this afternoon and need to hear from you now!!! You do not need to reference the specific Amendments but do need to call now!

Unified opposition to the Human Services Block Grant and support for funding restoration among the House Democrats is as important as the support of House Republicans, so please contact House members in both parties. They will meet this afternoon and need to hear from you now and through Tuesday afternoon.