Former Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg thinks something is lacking from the series of public hearings the state Legislature has held in recent weeks on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in New York. 

The state Senate and Assembly have held hearings on issues ranging from the effect the pandemic has had on nursing homes, colleges and elections as well as mass transit. Weisenberg wants to add another issue: How the pandemic has impacted people who are developmentall disabled. 

 Weisenberg, a retired Democrat who represented a Long Island district, pointed to the experience of group home residents amid the crisis. In many instances, he said in a statement released Monday afternoon, workers in those facilities were "overlooked when it came to protective gear and basic necessities" that would keep vulneralbe people safe. 

"Specifically, people with developmental disabilities residing in state-licensed and state-operated group homes seem to have been forgotten in the broader group of hearings being held," Weisenberg said. "My son Ricky resides in a residential group home on Long Island. Under normal circumstances, group homes are typically understaffed with underpaid workers who work extra shifts and do the best they can in daunting circumstances. That is under routine circumstances."

Weisenberg said he personally gave $10,000 for the purchase of masks and other equipment for his son's home as well as other facilities. 

"While I would do it all over again to save lives, I am deeply troubled that the many regulatory agencies responsible for the safety and well being of these vulnerable individuals appear to have done nothing to fix or reduce the threat to our citizens," Weisenberg said.

The plight of those with developmental disabilities and their families has not been an easy one during the pandemic. Some families felt like the state largely ignored the community as businesses and offices began to close down in March. 

And now looming budget cuts could further impact the population. 

Weisenberg retired in 2014, but remains a deeply respected figure on both sides of the aisle in Albany, where he was often a prominent champion of those with developmental disabilities and has pushed for better pay for the staff who care for them. 

Weisenberg wants hearings that would include a discussion on funding for staff, staffing levels, safety measures, oversight and inspections as well as an understanding of guidance for regulatory oversight. 

"An area of interest would be the New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs," he said. "Because the center exists solely to protect vulnerable populations, especially those in state facilities, I believe it would be significant to learn what the center's work entailed during this crisis for group homes, as well as some of the other topics the committees are  undertaking in other hearings."