The 2017 Montana Legislative Session is now upon us. This session is shaping up to be a very busy one and not necessarily in a good way. Due to state budget constraints, many of the programs that Montanans with disabilities rely on every day are in jeopardy of having their budgets slashed. These programs include the Community First Choice program, HCBS Medicaid Waiver programs, Vocational Rehabilitation, Independent Living, Mental Health, and others.

As always, we will be following this legislative session closely and asking for your help to prevent budget cuts to these vital programs as well as to address serious issues in current programs, such as the Medically Needy Income Limit (spend down), provider rates and direct care worker wages, and affordable housing opportunities.

We cannot do this alone, we need your help. To stay up to date on the 2017 Montana Legislative Session please register to become an advocate on our action alert system. You can register on our website at www.summitilc.org or on our action alert portal, which can be found at http://cqrcengage.com/summitilc.

As an advocate, you will receive hearing notices and have opportunites to contact your legislators on issues that are important to the lives of Montanans with disabilities.

We will not have a full-time lobbyist at the 2017 Session so your help is needed more during this session than ever before. We will be counting on you to help make a difference.