News & Views, Volume 9, Number 5, June 1987 Page: 3
6 p. : ill.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Over 100 Years of DDD
Experience Retires
Eight long-time Disability Determination
Division employees retired on May 31.
At a reception in their honor May 29,
David I. MacCabe, deputy commissioner
for disability determination, pointed out
that, along with them, 123 years of DDD
experience retired in one month. They
are (above, first row from left) Eldon
Riley, operations unit supervisor with 15
years of service; Joe Edmondson,
disability examiner with 13 years of
service; Mike Bartlett, operations
director with 26 years of service; and
Augusta Cooper, technical reviewer with
14 years of service. (Second row from
left) Mary Zinni, disability hearings
officer with 17 years of service; Mary
Faloon, operations unit supervisor with
14 years of service; and Judy Wade, mail
clerk with 10 years of service. (Not
pictured is Frances Havins, clerical
supervisor with 14 years of service.)ttk Z
I. .
a,
d r
t AjSession Ends Without State Appropriations Package
The regular session of the 70th
Texas Legislature is over, and we're
back to square one in the
appropriations process.
State lawmakers ended the
120-day regular session June I
without agreeing on a state spending
bill. A special session, called June
22, has as its main priority to finalize
a spending package everyone can
live with.
TRC employees and people with
disabilities who benefit from our
services were left with a variety of
questions about state funding for
TRC programs. To answer all the
questions or speculate on all the
possible scenarios which could occur
in the special session would be
counterproductive if not impossible.
A review of how things stood at
the end of the regular session may
be helpful.
When the Legislature adjourned
June 1, both the House and Senate
had passed their respective versions
of a state spending measure (House
Bill I and Senate Bill 123).
Differences in funding levels outlined
in the bills necessitated a joint
conference committee to reach a
compromise on parts of the bills
with different funding figures.''The conference committee never
got to TRC,' says Charles Harrison,
controller for the Commission. H. B.
I would fund TRC at approximately
the same level as FY 1987, or the
"current services" level. Under this
proposal, the Deaf-Blind
Multihandicapped Program would be
the most adversely affected since
grant funds now supporting the
program would not be replaced by
state funds in FY 1988-89. As for
other TRC programs, H. B. I would
not reduce the current service levels
to disabled Texans, but it would not
allow program expansion to reach
more people currently unserved.
Senate Bill 123. on the other hand,
allows for limited growth in the
Vocational Rehabilitation Program,
along with healthier funding
increases for Extended Rehabilitation
Services, Independent Living, and
the Deaf-Blind Multihandicapped
Program. This bill would allow TRC
to serve more people than we
currently serve through these
programs.
These are the only two budget
proposals introduced as legislationduring the regular session. Other
proposals, specifically the Governor's
and the Lt. Governor's, have caused
much speculation with respect to
state agency budget considerations.
Governor Clements' proposal
would appropriate fewer funds to
TRC in FY 1988-89 than were
appropriated in FY 1987. It would
reduce services in all major program
areas by not providing enough state
funding to maintain the level of
federal funding we now receive.
Lt. Governor Hobby's proposal
would, with a couple of exceptions,
reduce S. B. 123 to approximately
the same level as H. B. 1, the
current services level.
Commissioner Arrell suspects that
when the House and Senate firm up
their suggested budgets for the
special session, their recommenda-
tions for TRC will '.. .basically be a
combination of H. B. I and S. B. 123
as amended by the Hobby plan."
But, as the Commissioner goes on
to say, "It's a whole new ball game.
Whatever any of us had so far died
at the end of the regular session."3
..o
1
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas Rehabilitation Commission. News & Views, Volume 9, Number 5, June 1987, periodical, June 1987; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1032619/m1/3/: accessed July 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.