Longoria Lobbies Against Texas Disability Cuts
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Actress Eva Longoria lobbied lawmakers and spoke at a rally on behalf of the mentally disabled on Tuesday. She said if the Legislature passed proposed cuts in services it would bring "shame on Texas.''
Hundreds of disabled people, along with their families and helpers, rallied at the capitol. Advocates said they didn't want more money for the disabled, only the current level of spending.
Texas lawmakers are grappling with a $27 billion shortfall. The current House bill proposes cutting the Department of Aging and Disability Services by 20 percent, or almost $1 billion.
Longoria has a sister with Down's Syndrome. She told the crowd that if Texans understood what these cuts would mean for people like her sister, they would oppose them. She promised to speak out against the cuts.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
