by Erin Vallely

It is important to know who our government representatives are because they make decisions that impact our daily lives.  They work together with the other elected government representatives to decide what issues to prioritize, what to do about the issues, and vote on how to address the issues.  They also decide what issues do not get addressed.  Since our government representatives are elected by us, you can impact their decisions by writing and calling them and sharing your thoughts.  Government representatives often take their constituents’ thoughts about issues into consideration.   

Election Outcomes 

Donald Trump won the presidential election and will become our next president once Joe Biden finishes his term in January.  Representing New York State in the U.S. Senate, Kirsten Gillibrand, was reelected to her position.  For Cortland County, Josh Riley won the election and will replace Marc Molinaro as our U.S. Assembly representative.  He represents Cortland and other local counties in New York in the federal government. Donald Trump, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Josh Riley will all work in the federal government which meets in Washington, D.C.   

Cortland County’s current New York State Senator, Lea Webb, was reelected.  Both of our New York State Assemblymembers, Anna Kelles and Jeff Gallahan, were also reelected.  We have two state assemblymembers because Cortland County is divided into two voting districts.  Lea Webb, Anna Kelles, and Jeff Gallahan all work in the New York State government which meets in Albany, New York. 

Disability Issue Priorities  

State Level 

• Consumer Directed Personal Assistance program: Governor Hochul recently announced that New York will be switching to a single fiscal intermediary which will manage every case throughout the state.  The reason for doing this is to save money, but advocates are concerned it will cause problems for people receiving services.  Disability advocates will continue to support home care service accessibility and ensure individuals don’t lose access to the program.   

• Home Care Eligibility: In 2020-2021, the New York state government passed a policy that would make it more difficult for people to meet the criteria for receiving home care services.  The proposed changes also violate several laws already in place that protect people’s rights to access services in the community.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of the policy has been delayed.  However, the changes are supposed to occur in 2025 since the pandemic is now over.  Given the importance of home care services, advocates want to see the upcoming changes stopped.  Government representatives have introduced a bill that would stop these changes from going into effect.  Disability advocates are supporting this effort.   

• Paratransit Availability: Currently, door to door bus services are only required to be available to individuals living within 0.75 miles of a typical public bus route.  For individuals living in suburban or rural communities, the current requirement makes it impossible for them to access accessible transportation.  However, a bill has been introduced that would make the requirement a three-mile radius.  This change would make transportation much more accessible for people with disabilities.  Disability advocates are going to advocate for this important improvement. 

• Subminimum Wage:  Currently, some employers are allowed to pay people with disabilities less money than non-disabled individuals due to their disability.  Many people believe this is an unfair practice and takes advantage of disabled people’s work.  A bill has been introduced that would make the practice of subminimum wages illegal throughout the state.  Employers would have to start paying disabled individuals the universal minimum wage, or more, to ensure they were being treated equally.   

• Access to Home: This program provides grants to make permanent accessibility modifications in the homes of low-income individuals with disabilities.  It is an important program because accessibility improvements allow people to safely live at home, rather than in a nursing home.  While funding for the program and improvements have recently been made, the program is still underfunded.  Many people who need the help the program offers cannot access the program.  Disability advocates are still going to advocate for more funding and increased use of the program. 

Federal Level  

• Latonya Reeves Freedom Act: Currently, many people cannot access the services and support they need to live in the community.  If passed, this law will require states and insurance providers to offer home- and community-based services and prevent discriminatory practices currently in place. It would also establish comprehensive state planning to transition individuals out of institutions and into integrated settings. As of November, there are efforts with the U.S. House to force a vote on the bill before the end of the current government session.  If it does not pass before the new year, disability advocates will continue to advocate for its passage in 2025. 

• SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act: Asset limits placed on people receiving SSI make it impossible for disabled individuals to be financially secure.  If passed, this law would increase the resource limits for individuals from $2,000 to $10,000 for individuals and from $3,000 to $20,000 for married couples. The law would also require these new limits be adjusted annually for inflation. These changes would allow people to save more money without losing their benefits.  Disability advocates are dedicated to ensuring this bill is passed in the coming year. 

• Marriage Equality for Disabled Adults Act: Currently, disabled individuals lose services if they get married because their spouse’s income and medical insurance are counted as assets.  If passed, this law would allow people who receive support to get marry without losing their benefits, which is currently not allowed if they marry someone who is not also receiving these supports. It will also expand access to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid for married individuals. By doing so, it ensures that disabled individuals can marry without sacrificing their essential health care.  Disability advocates strongly support this bill.   

• Real Emergency Access for Aging and Disability Inclusion for Disasters Act: Disabled and elderly individuals face greater risk of negative outcomes from natural disasters than non-disabled individuals are.  If passed, this law will establish programs and requirements to assist these individuals with disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. It will also fund research, develop training, and create a national commission that includes persons with disabilities. It will create a Disability and Disaster Preparedness Advisory Commission to oversee the use of these funds and ensure compliance with federal laws.  Disabled people cannot be left behind in natural disasters and advocates will keep advocating for this law. 

• Disaster Relief Medicaid Act: Currently, if victims of natural disasters are forced to evacuate out of their home state, they will lose their Medicaid health insurance.  If passed, it will provide specific disaster relief coverage for those who meet income eligibility standards and were residents or employed in the impacted area before the disaster. Coverage would be effective for two years following the disaster declaration and be required to be as comprehensive as their standard Medicaid coverage. Given the increased frequency in natural disasters, disability advocates view this as an urgent need and will continue to advocate for it until it is passed. 

Get Involved!   

Although political advocacy can seem intimidating, it’s important to get involved and tell your representatives about your opinions.  You should also talk to your family and friends about getting involved in political advocacy as a way to support your civil rights, and the rights of others.  Here’s some resources that can help you get started. 

• Use MyReps to find the names and contact information for your government representatives at https://myreps.datamade.us/  

• Use ResistBot to easily and quickly write an electronic message to your government representative by going to https://resist.bot/  

• Read this Writing Letters to Elected Officials guide from the University of Kansas to help you write figure out what to say at https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/advocacy/direct-action/letters-to-elected-officials/main  

If you have questions about the information or have questions about getting involved in advocacy, please contact ATI at 607-753-7363 or by email at info@aticortland.org.