Freedom Day for people with disabilities at the State Capitol in Santa Fe was February 8 this year. About 60 people from around the state met in the morning and received training from Doris Husted from the Arc of New Mexico on the legislative process. Marilyn Martinez, self advocate from People First, gave some tips on her experience dealing with legislators in previous years.

Advocates then marched over to the Capitol Building with various pro community inclusion signs stating, "Real homes, not nursing homes!"

Several advocates spoke in the Rotunda. Sherry Watson, one of Coalition for Living Independently in the Community, (CLIC)'s original founders, spoke of the great success last year with increases for the Medicaid Waiver, the Buy-in Medicaid program, and Personal Care Attendants program only to find out that one of our disability advocates on the waiting list died before he was able to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Joan Curtiss, an advocate from Protection and Advocacy, presented to the audience the current status of the Lewis class action on the DD and D&E Waiver Waiting Lists. Currently there are 3500 people on the D&E Waiver waiting list and 1270 people actually receiving D&E Waiver services. There are 2100 on the DD Waiting List and 1800 people receiving DD Waiver services. The attorneys will be adding new plaintiffs to the complaint since all of the original plaintiffs have been removed from the wait lists and have begun Medicaid Waiver services. The state has been trying to get the case dismissed, and is claiming sovereign immunity because of recent Supreme Court decisions that may affect whether ADA suits can be filed against the state. Therefore, the plaintiffs will be alleging violations by the state of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act by isolating plaintiffs, making them wait and jump hoops through a complicated system, and essentially pressuring them into nursing homes and institutional care.

Mentor, a service provider for people with disabilities, offered free pizza and sodas to all the advocates. After the rally, several advocates met with legislators and left messages about the legislation they wanted their legislators to support. Since Alex Valdez, Sec.of the Dept of Health, had cancelled a meeting with the advocates in Santa Fe at the last minute, several disability advocates marched en masse to Governor Johnson's office for their disability messages to be heard.