DISABILITY SCOOP: Governors Line Up Against Bid To Scale Back Community-Based Services
Eighteen state governors sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Todd W. Blanche calling on the Department of Justice to abandon efforts that could weaken access to community-based services for people with disabilities. Organized by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, the bipartisan coalition expressed opposition to a Justice Department memo questioning established interpretations of the landmark 1999 Olmstead v. L.C. Supreme Court decision, which protects individuals with disabilities from unnecessary institutional segregation. Prompted by disability rights advocates, the governors urged the federal government to preserve community integration, emphasizing that access to housing, employment, and civic participation in integrated settings remains essential for people with disabilities.
