Assemblyman Dave McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick) and a bipartisan group of legislators offered new legislation to restore some of the funding lost by the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). Under the proposal, a portion of the $420 million in funding for Hollywood tax credits would be reallocated to restore the needed $90 million that was cut from not-for-profits supported by OPWDD.

“Today, I want to reiterate my strong support for those who aren’t always able to advocate for themselves,” said McDonough. “If we showed the courage to do the right thing and take up this proposal, we could provide meaningful assistance for those individuals. Hollywood will be able to support its operations and this proposal would still support economic development initiatives. We cannot sacrifice the health and well-being of those less fortunate, and this proposal takes a major step toward ensuring they receive the care they deserve.”

While OPWDD has proposed a general plan to cut costs in an attempt to restore not-for-profit funding, it is unclear how it will achieve the cuts. The legislation would reduce the available $420 million in available film production tax credits by $90 million. This funding would then be used to restore the cuts from OPWDD. Proposals to fund any remaining shortfall would use tax dollars from the state’s general fund.

Video of McDonough offering his support for a budget amendment to restore the funding can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0G7FSJ25Ns.