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We are asking for
your help immediately to respond to two developments
that could harm the provision of legal services to
the poor in Connecticut.
First, we have learned that the Governor is asking
the legislature to grant authority for making enormous
budget cuts to state department heads, without retaining
control over which programs should be reduced proportionately,
and which programs an agency has authority to eliminate
entirely. This proposal puts $1.5 million in
state legal aid funding through the Judicial Department
at
risk, as well as endangering critical safety net programs
that are crucial for our clients.
Second, Webster Bank has informed us that it plans
to drop its IOLTA interest rate by half as of July
1. Webster has been one of the better IOLTA banks until
now, but this change would reduce statewide
legal aid funding by almost $900,000 a year, which would be a
terrible blow to our efforts to stabilize funding.
Please do two things:
- Immediately contact
your state Senator, state Representative, and Democratic
leadership in the legislature. Tell them
- The legislature should
not hand over all decision-making authority
to the Governor and
his Commissioners. There should be a process and oversight to
ensure that important
programs are preserved or at least suffer only
proportional cuts.
- There is an
alternative to the Governor’s drastic
budget plan: Do a one-month budget, as has been done
in the past, to give time to make prioritized decisions.
This also creates a window of opportunity to avoid some
of the worst cuts, because union leaders are actively
working to figure out how to respect the union’s
majority, which voted for the concession package
that failed because of the arcane union rules.
- To reach legislators:
i. Click here to get your legislators'
phone numbers & email
ii. Call the Senate Democrats office (860-240-8600)
to leave a message for Senator Don Williams
iii. Call the House Democrats office (860-240-8500)
to leave a message for Representative Chris
Donovan
- Call the Chair-CEO (James
Smith) and Executive Vice President (Joseph Savage)
at Webster
Bank. Tell them:
“ I am calling to tell you that I have appreciated Webster
being an IOLTA leadership bank, and supporting
legal services, but I am now very concerned because I have
heard that the bank is considering a sharp reduction
in its IOLTA interest rate. I hope Chairman Smith/Vice
President Savage will not allow this reduction
to happen, as it would be devastating to many people in Connecticut.”
If you or your firm are a depositor with Webster
bank, let them know that as well!
- Chair & CEO James Smith:
203-578-2214
- Ex. Vice President Joseph Savage: 860-692-1320
Thanks so much! We will keep you
posted – and
if you hear anything interesting back from your contacts,
please let us know!!
Thank you for your support.
With your assistance, we will continue to address the
needs of the increasing numbers of low-income people
in crisis, who need legal aid's help!
Steve Eppler-Epstein
Executive Director
Connecticut Legal Services
Patricia Kaplan
Executive Director
New Haven Legal Assistance Association
Branford Brown
Executive Director
Greater Hartford Legal Aid |
