>> Cathy: PROPOSED STATE AND FEDERAL BUDGET CUTS COULD HAVE A PROFOUND IMPACT ON SERVICES FOR MINNESOTANS WITH DISABILITIES.

FUNDING FOR DISABILITY SERVICES IS PRETTY COMPLEX, SO WE'RE GOING TO DIVE IN WITH MILO MUMGAARD.

HE'S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MID-MINNESOTA LEGAL AID.

MILO, THANKS SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Cathy: IT IS COMPLICATED.

AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALL DO GREAT WORK FOR FOLKS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES.

WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR ORGANIZATION IF YOU GET MASSIVE BUDGET CUTS?

>> WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT.

BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT ISSUE.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS WITHIN LEGAL AID WE HAVE THE MINNESOTA DISABILITY LAW CENTER, AND IT'S PART OF THE PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY SYSTEM THAT WAS CREATED ABOUT 50 YEARS AGO, AND YOU MAY RECALL WHY THAT OCCURRED.

BECAUSE IT WAS BORN OUT OF TRAGEDY.

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES WERE PREVIOUSLY WAREHOUSED AND NEGLECTED AND ABUSED NOT ONLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY BUT HERE IN MINNESOTA AS WELL.

SO OUR MINNESOTA DISABILITY LAW CENTER, AMONG OTHERS, LITIGATED THESE ISSUES AND EVENTUALLY IMPROVED THE SITUATION CONSIDERABLY, BUT THE FEDERAL FUNDING THAT CAME IN TO CREATE THE PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY SYSTEM ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS ALL ABOUT ENSURING THAT THERE IS A LEGAL STRUCTURE AS WELL AS A SUPPORT SYSTEM THROUGH THE INSTITUTE ON COMMUNITY INTEGRATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AS WELL AS THE GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL ON DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES TO ALSO DO POLICY WORK, EVALUATION WORK, AND TRAINING TO ENSURE THAT THIS ENTIRE ISSUE OF ENSURING THAT PEOPLE ARE NO LONGER WAREHOUSED, INSTITUTIONALIZED AND NEGLECTED DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

>> YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE WAS A PRETTY LARGE RALLY AT THE CAPITOL WITH FOLKS WHO HAVE DISABILITIES THERE, HAVING THEIR VOICES HEARD.

AND THERE SEEMED TO BE WORRIED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF REINSTITUTIONALIZATION.

IS THAT AN ACTUAL TRUE FEAR?

WOULD THAT HAPPEN?

>> THAT IS A TRUE FEAR ECAUSE THAT IS UNFORTUNATELY SORT OF THE DEFAULT WHEN COMMUNITY SERVICES THAT -- RIGHT NOW OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE, WE ENFORCE THE LAWS THAT GO TO CHOICE, INDEPENDENCE, COMMUNITY LIVING, SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY, AND SO ON.

ONCE THE INABILITY TO ENFORCE THOSE LAWS TAKES PLACE, THEN WHAT'S LEFT FOR THAT HE'S INDIVIDUALS IN TERMS OF THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS, THEIR SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND SO ON, AND ALL LIKELIHOOD THEY WOULD BE REINSTITUTIONALIZED, THERE WOULD BE A MOVEMENT TO DO THAT.

IT WOULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE FOR THE STATE OF MINNESOTA AND FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND IT WOULD BE THE EASIEST AND THE LEAST PROBLEMATIC FOR THE STATE IF THEY GO THAT DIRECTION.

>> Eric: HOW MUCH OF THIS IS GOING TO DRIBBLE DOWN TO THE COUNTIES?

THE GOVERNOR SAYS WE'LL STILL HAVE THE MOST GENEROUS DISABILITY BENEFITS IN THE COUNTRY BUT I'M GUESSING THIS IS GOING TO ROLL DOWNHILL TO THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT?

>> THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL FOLKS INCLUDING COUNTY FOLKS ABOUT THE DOWNSTREAM CONSEQUENCES OF THESE ISSUES.

IF FEDERAL FUNDING IS CUT, IF THERE IS INABILITY TO REPRESENT FOLKS WITH THESE KINDS OF ISSUES, THE COUNTIES ARE GOING TO BE STUCK WITH TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THROUGH THEIR OWN MEDICAL PROGRAM, THEIR OWN SERVICE PROGRAMS HOW THEY CAN FILL THE GAPS.

WHEREAS FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE IT MAKES A HECK OF A LOT MORE SENSE TO SIMPLY RELY UPON THE SYSTEM THAT'S ALREADY BEEN CREATED, THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S ALREADY THERE THAT SUPPORTS PEOPLE AND ENSURES THAT THEY HAVE THAT INDEPENDENCE, THAT CHOICE, THAT SELF-DETERMINATION.

>> WOW, I'M WONDERING HERE, WHAT KIND OF WORK MIGHT NOT GET DONE ULTIMATELY IF YOUR, SAY YOUR ORGANIZATION TAKES A HIT?

>> WELL, FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE ABLE TO, WE OFTENTIMES CALL OURSELVES THE WATCHDOG OF THE STATE FACILITY SYSTEMS.

WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO GO INTO FACILITIES AND OBSERVE AND TALK TO PEOPLE AND FIND OUT WHETHER THERE ARE ANY INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSES.

AND OF COURSE OVER THE YEARS THAT HAS ORESTALLED ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS AS WELL AS IDENTIFIED PROBLEMS AND HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED.

WE WOULD NO LONGER BE ABLE TO DO THAT.

IT WOULD ALSO BE IN THE COMMUNITY A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION WHERE WE ARE REGULARLY SOUGHT OUT FOR LEGAL SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH HOW DO WE GET SERVICES SO THAT WE CAN LIVE INDEPENDENTLY SO IN THAT HE CAN LIVE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

THOSE ARE LEGAL RIGHTS THAT PEOPLE HAVE.

IF OUR ABILITY IS TAKEN AWAY TO REPRESENT PEOPLE IN THOSE CONTEXTS THOSE INDIVIDUALS WOULD HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT TIME ESTABLISHING AND GETTING THOSE SERVICES.

>> Eric: YOU'LL BE WATCHING THE HOUSE/SENATE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.

>> VERY CLOSELY, YES.