Testimony: ‘It’s not right - I don’t agree to it’

Numerous people with disabilities have made personal pleas to the House and Senate Health & Welfare committees to reject HB 221 and not cut their services. Becky Woodhead, pictured here, told lawmakers, “Without the support, I don’t know where I would be right now.” She said, “My provider has taught me how to be accountable.” She said she has just 10 years to go before she’s 45, and doesn’t want to lose services then. “It’s not right - I don’t agree to it,” she said.

Kevin Thompson told the committee, “Thousands of people that are going to lose services - what’s going to happen to them? Where are they going to go?”

Kimi Maas, speaking haltingly, told lawmakers she had a “horrible accident on Christmas Day 1985,” and said the accident killed her brother and left her with a head injury. “I had a lot of things I had to learn all over again,” she said.