(The Center Square) — A countrywide group of circle of relatives caregivers is disappointed that Gov. Brian Kemp got rid of a wage increase for direct care employees supporting folks with highbrow and developmental disabilities incorporated within the state’s funds.
But the governor says lawmakers didn’t fund the wage increase, which might have value $105 million.
In signing the fiscal 2024 funds, Kemp, a Republican, got rid of the Legislature’s approval of a Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities wage increase for direct care employees by means of $6 in keeping with hour.
In a observation, Vanessa Faraj, Caring Across Generations’ senior campaigns supervisor in Georgia, lauded an extra 250 waiver slots for folks with highbrow and developmental disabilities incorporated within the fiscal 2024 funds. However, Faraj mentioned the funds “falls short” of addressing the want to spend money on get entry to to direct care services and products.
“It’s disappointing the recommendation to increase pay from $10.63 to $16.70 per hour was disregarded because Georgia’s direct care worker shortage, caused by the lack of family-sustaining wages and benefits, harms everyone in the state — especially disabled people and older adults seeking to live and age in own homes and communities and family caregivers taking time out of the paid workforce to support the health and well-being of their family members,” Faraj mentioned. “Care work is the work that makes all other work possible. These workers enable families across this state to thrive.
“It’s past time that Georgia’s elected officers now not simplest make care jobs excellent, living-wage jobs to mend the deepening staffing disaster but in addition paintings to uproot the structural racism, sexism, and ableism that helps to keep care paintings undervalued,” Faraj added. “It is time to make everlasting investments to reinforce Georgia’s care infrastructure for our running households, family members, the economic system, and our long term.”
A spokesman for Kemp declined to comment beyond the governor’s veto statement submitted to Lt. Governor Burt Jones and House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington. In that statement, Kemp said state lawmakers sought to direct the agency to implement a 2022-23 provider rate study pending Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approval.
“The General Assembly didn’t suitable any further finances to improve implementation of the supplier charge learn about,” Kemp said in his veto statement. “The learn about estimated a $105 million value to put in force the speed increase which will require the Department to redirect 25 % of present program investment from different services and products to satisfy the extra value.
“This unfunded mandate would have devastating impacts on the Department’s ability to maintain existing levels of service to the adult developmentally disabled community,” Kemp added. “Therefore, the agency is directed to disregard the language … until the resources necessary to support implementing this important study have been appropriated.”
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