You had to work. You couldn’t miss school. You couldn’t swing the gas money. For all of you out there who really wanted to, but just couldn’t attend Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol today in Frankfort, we are here to say, “THAT’S OK!” All right, yes, we missed you, BUT you can still support our collective effort from home or work! In fact, you can amplify the efforts of the 1,000+ child advocates gathered in Frankfort today with a few simple actions:
- Call your legislators. Not sure who represents you? Find out by visiting www.votesmart.org and typing your home address into the top right corner of the webpage. Then, click “State Legislative” to see your Senator and House Representative. Dial the legislative message line 1-800-372-7181 to reach them, and tell them:
“Today is Children’s Advocacy Day at the Capitol. More than 1,000 child advocates are there asking their representatives to vote for kids, and I am joining them by phone. Please stand up for Kentucky’s children and (pick one or two that you care most about):
- Keep funding in the state budget for additional frontline social workers and avoid budget cuts to the Department for Community Based Services, as proposed by the Governor.
- Keep funding in the state budget for expanded preschool opportunities, as proposed by the Governor.
- Support HB 168 regarding alternative education programs, which has already passed the House of Representatives. (The bill would prohibit superintendents from assigning an employee who is on probation or in corrective action to an alternative program).
- Support House Concurrent Resolution 129 which will create a task force to study status offenses (misbehavior like skipping school or running away) and other juvenile justice issues. Take action this session on limiting the incarceration of youth for status offenses, by supporting HB 61.
- Include funding for a state-level Earned Income Tax Credit in the state budget.
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