DRCNH Home > News > July 8, 2005

Stephen said he will move ahead immediately consolidating two agencies out of 12 that provide services to the developmentally disabled. He claims he can save $800,000 by closing United Developmental Services in Lebanon and Center of Hope in Conway. A 6-4 vote by the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules gave Stephen authority to make the changes.

Lynch used an executive order Wednesday to set up a commission to conduct a four-month study of the agencies and to recommend any changes that need to be made. In a letter, he urged the committee to defer action until the study is done, saying, "any restructuring of our developmental disability system must be addressed in a comprehensive and methodical manner."

Two key Republican lawmakers also asked the committee to delay the rule change.

House Deputy Majority Leader Fran Wendelboe of New Hampton and Rep. Peter Batula, chair of the Health and Human Services committee, said action was premature.

Both are angry that the Senate waited until the last minute to kill an agreement on a bill that would have launched the study Lynch ordered.

"I'm willing to say we should at least study this. When someone takes that away from us, I am very suspicious," Batula said.

At the least, he promised, the HHS oversight committee will look closely at the issue, "and see if we can salvage some common sense out of this whole thing."

Just two days ago, Lynch asked Stephen to drop his plans, but Stephen refused.

Lynch press secretary Pamela Walsh said Lynch's options are limited, but that the commission report will be useful to lawmakers as they prepare for the next legislative session in January.

"Obviously, it would be a better use of everybody's resources if the commissioner waited until the commission made its recommendations," she said. As for Lynch's ability to slow Stephen down, she said, "In New Hampshire, commissioners are appointed for independent terms and have latitude under our statutes."

Senate Majority Leader Robert Clegg of Hudson said Stephen has said it will take a year to finish the consolidation, so he needs to start now so he can meet a legislative deadline of July 1, 2006.

Opponents questioned the savings that HHS has predicted. They point out that outside HHS, the only two reports that support the move are by the agencies that will survive the mergers.

The budget that went into effect July 1 requires any savings HHS makes in the change to be put toward reducing the number of people who are waiting for services to the developmentally disabled.

Stephen said last night he can get 29 people off the waiting list for services if he saves the $800,000 he projects in an analysis critics question.

"It's my position that this is the right thing for people with disabilities. That's why I feel we should do whatever we can to move forward," he said.

But Richard Cohen, director of the Disabilities Rights Center in Concord, said the financial analysis HHS provided "is highly suspect, incomplete and misleading."

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