ALBANY — Alzheimer’s disease groups from across the state traveled to the Capitol Tuesday for an annual lobbying day, gamely carrying on despite the cancelation of the day’s legislative session due to a growing bribery and corruption scandal.
“Earlier this year, Gov. (Andrew) Cuomo proposed a consolidation of funding for health care causes, like Alzheimer’s disease, that would have included a large funding cut,” said Cathy James, co-chairwoman of the Coalition of New York State Alzheimer’s Association Chapters. “Your voices stopped that.”
Organizers said around 125 people attended the second annual Rally to End Alzheimer’s, whose purpose is to meet with legislators in their offices to talk about the budget and issues of concern, such as adult guardianship and training workers in adult care facilities where people with Alzheimer’s reside.
But after a year of planning, organizers of the lobbying day were left wanting by the abruptly canceled Senate session and a one-day Assembly session on Monday instead of the two days of work planned for this week.
Assembly Health Committee Chairman Richard Gottfried, D-Manhattan, one of the few legislators who stuck around, spoke at the rally about his bill to beef up Alzheimer’s training for adult care workers.
This session was curtailed after a string of arrests of sitting legislators on corruption charges and the unnerving news a week ago that former Sen. Shirley Huntley, D-Queens, had secretly taped a half-dozen senators, all of whom are now facing FBI scrutiny.
Organizers said the planned meetings still took place, with advocates meeting with Albany office staff. Legislators are not due back in Albany until May 20, four weeks before the scheduled end of the 2013 session.
Advocates said their lobbying talking points included three main issues:
• Passage of the Uniform Adult Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Act. The bill passed by both houses this year created a uniform set of rules for determining jurisdiction in cases involving a court-appointed guardian.
• Budget. Health care groups successfully turned back a 10 percent cut in the budget, but the final 5.6 percent cut “will hurt families today and taxpayers long into the future.” Continued...
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