Overview
- The Lee Specialty Clinic in Louisville faces a $4.5 million funding shortfall from this year’s budget and clinic leaders warn roughly 80% of staff could be laid off by July 15.
- Clinic care supports more than 1,300 patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities who rely on medical, dental, therapy and behavioral services under one roof.
- Gov. Andy Beshear said he is working on a plan to preserve services but called any reallocated funds a temporary "Band-Aid" that does not replace a legislative funding fix.
- Dozens of parents, clinic workers and advocates rallied at the Kentucky Capitol and packed a Cabinet meeting to press officials to restore funding and avert service loss.
- The cuts flow from a Republican-led budget that reduced community and Medicaid-related spending by more than $1 billion compared with the governor’s proposal and could force longer-term shrinkage of community disability services if lawmakers do not act.