Disability Rights Advocates Said Darling Bill Will Bring ‘Harm to Children with Disabilities’

MADISON, Wis. — One Wisconsin Now released the following statements in response to irresponsible claims made by the Republican Party of Wisconsin about Sen. Alberta Darling’s harmful Assembly Bill 110. The bill is directly modeled after legislation from the corporate American Legislative Exchange Council and supported by the American Federation for Children, which is spending over a quarter of a million dollars to try and save Darling in her recall election.

“The state’s most respected organization that fights for the rights of people with disabilities testified that Alberta Darling’s corporate-influenced bill would be harmful for children with disabilities. If Alberta Darling wasn’t spending all her time cozying up to lobbyists and corporate special interest groups trying to save her in the recall race, she might actual meet with real people who have real concerns about her harmful legislation.”

Testimony from an official with Disability Rights Wisconsin to the state legislature May 3, 2011 noted strong and detailed opposition to Darling’s bill, noting in particular:

“Sadly, though its proponents may claim otherwise, not only does AB 110 do absolutely nothing to improve Wisconsin’s system of special education, it will do far more harm to children with disabilities than good.” Jeff Spitzer-Resnick, Managing Attorney, Disability Rights Wisconsin

Disability Rights Wisconsin’s lengthy and detailed, point-by-point opposition to Darling’s bill is available at:http://www.disabilityrightswi.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/DRW-testimony-ab-110.pdf

As chair of the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee, Darling helped author the state budget that directly cut $800 million from public education and cuts FamilyCare spending by more than $284 million over the biennium and freezes enrollment. FamilyCare helps around 35,000 seniors and people with disabilities stay independent at home and in their communities. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/20/11; Disability Rights Wisconsin Fact Sheet]

Darling did all this while passing $2.3 billion in tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy this year.