Advocacy Update
2026 Budget Campaign: Speak Up & Call for Action!
What is the calling campaign?
The campaign is a collective push for members of The Arc New York community to place at least 5,000 calls to legislators telling them what they need to do to support people with IDD in the NYS budget. Instructions and a call script can be found here.
Who should call?
YOU! And your family and friends across New York State
Who are we calling?
NYS Senators and Assemblymembers OR Staff
When are we calling?
Starting Monday February 9 or any day in February—including weekends—until we reach 5,000 calls!
Why are we calling?
The Executive Budget only includes a 1.7% Targeted Inflationary Increase (TII) and we need the full 2.7% just to match inflation for the year, and we need support for our Careforce Affordability package!
What number do I call?
You can find your representative's phone numbers on the Senate and Assembly websites below. If you would like to change the script accordingly and call Governor Hochul, her number is 518-474-8390.
How should I let you know to count my calls?
Complete this short response short response form to let us know who you called so we can track our shared success!
Additional Information
You can call any time, day, night and weekends to leave a message if you don’t want to speak directly with a staff member. Emailing a personal message is great too. Once you look up your representative, you will find options to send a message directly to their email address or use the online form.
A sample script has been provided here. Please feel free to change it. It’s important for you to feel comfortable, so we recommend writing out your script in its entirety and practicing a few times before you call.
We have created some additional resources with talking points to help support your call. You can ask for your legislator’s email address so you can follow up and forward the materials to their office. The script focuses on the 2.7% Targeted Inflationary Increase, but there is nothing holding you back from conveying the additional requests found in the budget priorities and legislative action documents below. Also consider calling on multiple days to cover each topic. Here are the links:
By using these resources to share your story, you play a vital role in ensuring our community’s voice is heard and our priorities are met.