Arlington Hearing Wraps Up
The public hearing at the Arlington Agricultural Research Station wrapped up at about 4:40 p.m.
The JFC will be in action again tomorrow, hearing testimony from the heads of the Department of Justice, the Department of Public Instruction, Wisconsin Technical College System, Higher Educational Aids Board, and University of Wisconsin System. The hearing begins at 10:30 a.m.
On Tuesday, the JFC lands at the Chippewa Falls County Courthouse, 711 N. Bridge St., for a hearing scheduled from noon to 5 p.m.
One of the recurring themes in the six-plus hours of testimony the committee members heard today was support for the governor's proposal to require insurers to provide coverage to autistic individuals.
At least a half dozen residents stepped forward to voice their support for the initiative, including a 9th grader who said he was diagnosed with autism at age three but through treatment now lives a normal high school life, including participation in sports and music. A mother of an autistic child said she and her husband pay $40,000 per year for therapy for their child.
A representative from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Wisconsin stepped up to ask for continued support for the program, and for the $100,000 increase in funding Gov. Doyle has included in the 2007-09 budget.
A representative from the League of Women Voters spoke about K-12 education, saying the current funding formula "is failing our children and making the referendum a way of life for our school districts."
Labels: Arlington_Meeting, Autism
