As our campaign prepares for the 2019 Legislative and Budget Session, we are asking you to meet with your local State Senator and State Assemblymember in district, throughout December, to discuss our budget priority on ensuring that the statutory COLA (Cost-of-Living-Adjustment) is not taken out of the budget and for the Legislature to join us in our advocacy. (Due to the recent November elections, the composition of the legislature has changed. Please refer to an updated list of State Senators and Assemblymembers.)

A statutory COLA for human services providers with state agency contracts exists in the state budget, but is consistently taken out. Deferring the human services COLA means that human services contracts have not seen a salary increase in 8 of the last 10 years, totaling well over half a billion dollars in withheld salary adjustments. That is why we are asking the Legislature to join us in calling on Governor Cuomo to keep the statutory COLA in this year’s state budget.

This winter is a perfect opportunity to meet with State Senators and Assemblymembers before they head of to Albany in the new year. You can find talking points (internal information), the one-pager (general COLA information to be handed to legislator) and a fact sheet (more detailed information on COLA if they request it) on the campaign website for your meetings. If you need assistance scheduling the meetings or have any questions about the materials, please feel free to contact the campaign at info@strongnonprofitsny.org.