On the heels of a press conference held in Albany by Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,C,I,Ref-Canandaigua) and Clifford W. Crouch (R-Bainbridge), Assemblyman Dave McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick) is calling for a vote on a package of bills called the C.A.R.E.S. Plan to ensure proper funding, education, resources and community investment for the developmentally disabled. The Assembly Minority Conference held 11 regional forums across the state over the past two years to hear concerns and gather input from grassroots stakeholders who work in the developmental disability community.

“Back in 2013 it was our Conference that stood up for the developmentally disabled when Assembly Majority and Gov. Cuomo tried to cut $90 million from the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities,” McDonough said. “Now, we are building on the momentum of that victory and using the input we gathered from communities across the state to put more safeguards in place for things like transition plans for sheltered workshops, our direct care workers struggling with the new minimum wage increase and expansion of local programs that provide education and development.”