On Monday, more than 100 people showed up at the Capitol in Helena to protest and to testify against proposed cuts to the Department of Public Health and Human Services.
These cuts could directly impact the lives of developmentally disabled folks, young children, and people on Medicaid. The legislative committee that heard these testimonies already voiced their objection to these cuts. On Monday, the committee had to decide whether they wanted to make that objection more formal.
We at the Prairie Populist were struck by the honesty and passion of these personal testimonies. So we’ve compiled a handful of them to share with you. To hear all the statements, including those made from dozens of healthcare professionals, click here.
Each of these testimonies is unique. But there is a common thread tying all of these stories together. That thread speaks to the same core values that unite all of us as Montanans: independence, freedom, fairness, stability, and the opportunity to succeed.
At the end of the meeting, the committee voted to continue its formal objection to these cuts. These testimonies were heard loud and clear. To quote Ms. Dowdle, the mother of two sons with special needs who spoke at the meeting, “The young and old matter. We live, we laugh, we cry, we hurt. We are here.“
-Amanda Garant
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