On Wednesday, January 4th, Governor Corbett announced a statewide budgetary spending freeze of $157 million, including the removal of 5% to the line item for domestic violence services.
Funding already does not meet the need. Having turned away more than 7,700 requests for emergency shelter last year, we simply cannot afford to turn away more victims in need. Read more about the extent of the budget freeze here.
We need you to call the Governor TODAY to help preserve essential funding for domestic violence services and other vital health and human services.
| MAKE AN IMPACT: 1.) Call the Governor’s office at 717-787-2500.
2.) Contact your legislator to ask for his or her help. Find contact info here. 3.) Spread To find your lesgistlator, copy and paste link in your browser: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/#address |
Talking Points for Calls
My name is ________ and I’m calling _________ (from Women Against Abuse- the domestic violence program in Philadelphia county; as a supporter of Women Against Abuse; from Philadelphia County; as a concerned citizen of Philadelphia; on behalf of the victims of domestic violence in Pennsylvania).
I’m calling because I am outraged at the Governor’s five percent budgetary spending freeze on funding for domestic violence services.
This takes funding for domestic violence services back to pre-2001 levels, while both the cost of providing services AND the demand for our services has increased. We have already cut core programs and lost services for victims. We depend on other community services that were also frozen.
We know that the Governor cares about domestic violence victims. We know that the budget freeze reflects unmet state revenue and savings projects. However, our elected officials have failed to act on many opportunities for additional revenues or use of the surplus and Rainy Day Fund.
[To the Governor’s office:] I urge the Administration to restore this proposed cut before it cripples our ability to help victims in life-threatening crises.
-OR-
[To legislators:] I implore you to please contact the Governor’s office and urge him to restore this proposed cut before it cripples our ability to help victims in life-threatening crises.
BE SURE TO ADD AT THE END OF YOUR MESSAGE “Please get back to me with a response to let me know whether the cut will stand”
