Hundreds of people with developmental disabilities, their families and support staff, gathered at the State House on Monday evening to demand the legislature reject a proposal to cut hundreds of millions from the state agency that oversees services and financial support for the community.

“We will not be silent, we will be heard,” said Mat Rice, executive director for People on the Go Maryland, “but what has to be clear is these budget cuts have got to go.”

The crowd of hundreds began to chant: “Hey Hey! Ho Ho! These budget cuts have got to go!”

The advocates say that the state’s $3 billion budget deficit is being balanced on the backs of the disability community, due to a proposed $200 million cut to the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration to help offset the shortfall. State health officials have said the cuts are needed to rein in unsustainable growth in the agency and provide additional financial accountability for those services.

But advocates and organizations with the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Coalition say that cuts should not come at the expense of the community the agency supports.

“We should not have to suffer for the mistakes of the Department of Health. We should not be victims of accounting errors,” Rice said.

The rally comes at a time when lawmakers face tough decisions about the state’s fiscal outlook as they evaluate Gov. Wes Moore’s (D) proposed $67 billion budget for fiscal 2026. Uncertainty about the reliability of future federal fund under the Trump administration strains the financial picture further.

One of the more challenging elements to the proposed budget is the $200 million cut to the Developmental Disabilities Administration, which oversees Medicaid waivers that provide resources and financial help for about 20,500 Marylanders with disabilities.

Del. Craig J. Zucker (D-Montgomery), who has a son with autism, promised the crowd Monday to be an ally for the community in the State House as budget discussions continue.

“There are things that might get cut — these are tough budget times,” he said. “But we have to make sure that we’re continuing to look out for the most vulnerable in our community.”

Meeka Caldwell, a member of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council and mother of a son with Down syndrome, said the proposed cut will reduce access to resources that many Marylanders rely on.

“We cannot stand by and allow cuts to DDA services,” she told the crowd. “Cutting funds is not just a budget decision. It puts the well-being of people with disabilities and their families at risk … We cannot balance the budget on our most vulnerable. The demand for these services are growing, not shrinking. Instead of cuts, we need investments.”

The $200 million cut is a combination of several “cost containment” efforts. A large portion of the cut would reduce or eliminate certain wage increases for support staff, which advocates believe will cause professionals to leave the field in droves to find better-paying jobs.

Ande Kolp, executive director for The Arc Maryland, said that the proposed cuts would be heart-breaking.

“We cannot provide the same services, or more, with less funding per person,” Kolp said. “We cannot look to our hard-working direct support professionals, the backbone of our services in Maryland, and tell them that we appreciate them, but we need to cut their pay.”

Other cuts include financial programs that help families afford additional goods and services that could ease the lives of their loved ones with disabilities.

Tavon Jackson with the Arc of Baltimore is worried about how the proposed cuts will impact people with developmental disabilities.

“A change in DD (developmental disability) services will hurt people with disabilities,” he said. “Losing those services means other people won’t have the opportunity to be successful.

“I’m scared for the future, so I really hope they can help us,” he said.