The list of ‘Table Targets’ for each sector in the State Budget just became public. This should help expedite budget negotiations.
The Table Targets are the amount of funding the Senate and Assembly have to spend in each sector. So most germane to us is the so called Mental Hygiene Table where there is twenty million dollars available divided between mental health, developmental disabilities and addiction disorders.
MHANYS number one priority has been around a COLA for the human service sector. The total cost is $140 million dollars. On issues that have a larger dollar total like the COLA, it will go to the so called ‘mothership’ for a decision. The mothership is the leaders in both houses negotiating with the Governor to determine those priorities. We will keep working on the leadership on the days ahead. We are also urging that the ‘Mothership’ also fund the $39 million request for Housing from the Bring It Home Campaign.
Specifically around the Twenty Million allocated for mental hygiene—MHANYS priorities are a million dollars to fund the School Mental Health and Training Resource Center, Funding for Joseph Dwyer VeteransMental Health Peer to Peer Program, Crisis Intervention Team Funding, Mental Health First Aid, Parity and Geriatric Mental Health
We will continue our advocacy on these agenda items.
The Legislative Leaders announced table targets for the Budget Subcommittees:
$20 million Mental Hygiene
$50 million Education
$10 million General Government
$10 million Economic Development
$30 million Health
$5 million Transportation
$55 million Higher Education
$50 million Human Services
$15 million Public Protection
$10 million Environmental, Housing & Agriculture
$20 million General Conference
$275 million Total
