The National Rehabilitation Association is pleased to announce the appointment of the following NRA Members to the 2008 Government Affairs Committee: Bob Burns, Director, Maryland Department of Rehabilitation Services; Bob Cox, World of Work, Inc. Texas; Donald W. Dew, Professor Emeritus of Counseling, George Washington University; Ray Feroz, NRA's 2008 of Pennsylvania; Paula Kuhn, Vocational Rehabilitation, North Carolina; Fredric Schroeder, former Commissioner of RSA and Professor of Rehabilitation Counseling/Studies at San Diego State, California; Ellen Sokolowski of Iowa; Tom Wilson, Georgia VR; and Harold Wasner, Michigan DVR.

12:30 to 1:30 p.m. NRA Luncheon at the Hotel with LUNCHEON KEYNOTE

1:45 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. NRA'S PARTNERS' Panel

3:00 p.m. TO 3:15 p.m. BREAK

3:15 pm. to 5:00 p.m. PRESENTATION ON NRA'S POSITION PAPERS

Government Affairs Committee Co-Chairs, Members of the Government Affairs Committee and Patricia Leahy will present on NRA's 2008 Position Papers and Principles to Reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

MONDAY, MARCH 10, 2008
All Events at the Hotel

8:00 A.M. TO 10:00 A.M.

NRA's Leadership and Advocacy Breakfast Forum

The Leadership and Advocacy Breakfast Forum is a new component to NRA's Governmental Affairs Summit which will be interactive and will focus on principles, the sharing of effective practices, State VR reports on the opportunities and challenges facing VR Agencies and CRPs in a slow-but-sure shift in States' fiscal policies, in addition to a careers' component on effective and promising practices in the corporate world for individuals with disabilities.

Presentations will include State VR Directors, NRA's 2008 President-Elect Ray Feroz, the 2008 NRA Legislative Co-Chairs, Dr. Ralph Pacinelli and Kathy West Evans, Congressional staff, Patricia Leahy, and others.

We also want to note that during the Forum a discussion will ensue on National Governors Association (NGA) and the National Association of State Budget Offices (NASBO) December, 2007, release of a Report on the State of the States entitled, "The Fiscal Survey of States," which finds that States are beginning to experience tighter fiscal conditions which has implications for both the State VR Agencies and the Congress.

We are forwarding the NGA's and NASBO's Press Release on this Report as well as a link to the full report. The full Report may be accessed on http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/FSS0712.PDF . The Press Release follows immediately below followed by the Summit Program for Monday and Tuesday, March 10 and 11, 2008.

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States Beginning to Experience Tighter Fiscal Conditions According to Latest Report

NGA and NASBO Release Latest Fiscal Survey of States

NGA Contact: Jodi Omear, 202-624-5346
NASBO Contact: Scott Pattison, 202-624-8804

WASHINGTON—Although states experienced stable finances in 2007, overall revenue growth has slowed and tighter fiscal conditions are expected in 2008, according to the National Governors Association (NGA) and the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO).

In a report released today, The Fiscal Survey of States, NGA and NASBO found that while most states experienced healthy revenue growth during fiscal 2007, some states already have seen significant deterioration of their fiscal conditions and expect revenue and expenditure growth to slow significantly in fiscal 2008. States expect continued expenditure pressures from a variety of sources, including increased funding demands related to health care and Medicaid and to long-term challenges such as demographic shifts, employee pensions and infrastructure. In addition, most states will feel the pinch of the nation’s weakening housing market, both directly from lower sales tax revenues and indirectly as local governments struggle with declining property values and decreasing property tax revenues.

“Steadily rising health care costs, softening in the housing sector and the need to address looming issues such as aging populations are putting mounting spending pressure on states at the same time as federal funding for critical programs is leveling,” said NGA Executive Director Raymond C. Scheppach. “Governors realize that meeting these increasing expenditure expectations with limited revenues will be problematic in the future.”

In fiscal 2007, state general fund spending growth was 9.3 percent—approximately three percentage points above the 30-year historical state spending average of 6.4 percent. One state reported negative expenditure growth for 2007, and seven states enacted negative growth budgets for fiscal 2008. State revenue collections were up 5.6 percent in 2007, and 38 states exceeded their original budget projections, 4 states met their projections and 8 states were below projections.

States’ single largest expenditure for fiscal 2007 was health care, which accounts for nearly one-third of total state spending. Medicaid alone comprises about 22 percent of total state spending, and with a projected spending growth rate of 8 percent annually for the next decade, the program will continue to strain state budgets. Meanwhile, states face significant challenges in funding and providing health care in fiscal 2008, including expanding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program to reduce the number of uninsured children in their states; reductions at the federal level for public and other health programs; and the impact of the aging population on long-term care financing.

“This report shows that most states are moving from peak fiscal conditions to a period of much slower spending and revenue growth,” said NASBO Executive Director Scott D. Pattison. “State spending growth is expected to slow in fiscal 2008, and long-term spending pressures suggest more states will face very tight budgets in the next few years.”

Total year-end balances—ending balances and the amounts in budget stabilization funds—are a critical tool states use to balance their budgets during downturns. For fiscal 2008, however, the report shows an expected decline. Total balances in fiscal 2006 were $69 billion—a very healthy 11.5 percent of expenditures; in fiscal 2007 total balances were $62.7 billion—or 9.6 percent of expenditures. In fiscal 2008, balances are projected to decline to $47 billion—or 6.9 percent of expenditures.

This edition of The Fiscal Survey of States reflects actual fiscal 2006, preliminary actual fiscal 2007 and appropriated fiscal 2008 figures. The data were collected during fall 2007.

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Back to the Summit Schedule for Monday, March 10, 2008

10:15 to 12 Noon Congressional Keynotes: Connie Garner, Director of Disability Policy to Senator Kennedy,
Chairman, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and

Pensions Committee (HELP)

Aaron Bishop, Director of Disability Policy to Senator Enzi (R.WY),

Ranking Member, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

Committee (HELP) (invited and on schedule)

Ricardo Martinez, Director of Disability Policy to

Congressman Hinojosa (D.TX.), Chairman of

the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Life-Long

Learning and Competitiveness of the House Education

and Labor Committee (invited and on schedule)

Sharon Lewis, Director of Disability Policy to Congressman

George Miller (D.CA.) who is the Chairman of the House

full Committee on Education and Labor (invited and on schedule)

12 noon to 1:15 P.M. LUNCH ON YOUR OWN

1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. BUSINESS PANEL

Ms. Kathleen West-Evans, CRC, Employment Specialist, formerly of RSA's Region X Office, currently Director of the VR Business Network for the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR).

Ms. West-Evans will discuss new and exciting developments in the enormously successful VR Business Network for both consumers and businesses.

List of businesses/consumers to accompany Ms. West-Evans to be announced.

3:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. BREAK

3:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. FEDERAL AND STATE PARTNERS' PANEL (RSA/DOL)

Additional Partners to be invited.

TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2008

(Capitol Hill All Day)

8:30 a.m. NRA members and staff depart Hotel for Capitol Hill via Metro

9:30 a.m. to 12:00 Noon Appointments with Senators and Representatives

12 Noon to 2:00 p.m. NRA CONGRESSIONAL LUNCH AND PRESENTATION OF 'LEAD ON' AWARDS

The Congressional Buffet and Awards Ceremony will be held in the Rayburn House Office Building's Banquet Rooms B-339 and B-340.

2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Appointments with Representatives and Senators resume

This year, we have secured Room 121 Cannon House Office Building from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. for a Wrap-up Session. For those members who conclude their Hill visits with their respective Members of Congress before 4:00 p.m., this room will be available to you beginning at 3:00 p.m.

As with past Government Affairs Summits, we encourage you to make appointments with your respective Members of Congress and others, as appropriate, as early as possible to ensure your access to Members and staff.

Additional information on the 2008 Government Affairs Summit will be forthcoming as the schedule is finalized.

The Government Affairs Summit Draft Program is subject to change.

We look forward to seeing you at the National Rehabilitation Association's 27th Annual Government

Affairs Summit which promises to be a very exciting and exhilarating experience.

As the premier management consultant, Peter Drucker, has said "MANAGEMENT IS DOING THINGS RIGHT; LEADERSHIP IS DOING THE RIGHT THINGS"

The National Rehabilitation Association continues to strive to do the right things with and on behalf of all individuals with disABILITIES.

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