Disabled Californians Promise to Fight Back as Sacramento Proposes Cuts to Services They Rely On

June 25, 2025

The California Disability Leadership Alliance organized a "Day at the Capitol" event on June 16 to advocate for disability rights and protest proposed budget cuts. Multiple disability advocacy organizations participated, including Disability Rights California and the California Foundation for Independent Living Services, to voice opposition to reductions in critical services such as the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program. Assemblymembers Isaac Bryan and Liz Ortega spoke at the event, with Bryan highlighting successful efforts to push back against some of Governor Newsom's proposed cuts to IHSS.

Who is affected

People with disabilities in California, including those dependent on In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS)
Black Californians with disabilities, who have higher rates of Medi-Cal and Medicare coverage
Family members and caregivers of people with disabilities
In-home care workers who would face reduced working hours
Parents who might need to spend more time at home instead of working if care hours are cut

What action is being taken

The California Disability Leadership Alliance is organizing advocacy events like the "Day at the Capitol"
Disability rights organizations are collaborating to strengthen "cross-disability collaboration" in California
Assemblymember Bryan and other lawmakers are pushing back against proposed cuts to IHSS and Medi-Cal
Assemblymember Bryan and Assemblymember Lackey are working on bipartisan bills focused on improving disability services
Advocates are speaking out against "coercive approaches to mental health and homelessness"

Why it matters

One in four adults in California has a disability, according to the Department of Health Care Services
The proposed budget cuts include a reduction of $707.5 million in General Fund spending for IHSS
Black Californians with disabilities are more likely to be covered by Medi-Cal (30% vs. 20%) or Medicare (32% vs. 14%)
Reducing IHSS overtime hours from 66 to 50 hours per week would impact families dependent on these services
Individuals with disabilities face higher frequencies of certain diseases, higher rates of morbidity and mortality, and risk factors for poor health

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint