Westberry Victory and Short and Long Range LDF Legal Objectives (Telegram)

Press Release
March 27, 1969

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  • Press Releases, Volume 6. Westberry Victory and Short and Long Range LDF Legal Objectives (Telegram), 1969. d7efad64-b992-ee11-be37-00224827e97b. LDF Archives, Thurgood Marshall Institute. https://ldfrecollection.org/archives/archives-search/archives-item/9cfb6c16-da55-4acb-8856-5c7034693c10/westberry-victory-and-short-and-long-range-ldf-legal-objectives-telegram. Accessed November 23, 2025.

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NAACP Legal Defense & Ed.Fund 
10 Columbus Circle, Nyc 10019 
ereby agreed to Send the following message, subject to the terms on back hereof, w 

March 27, 1969 

Mr. Byron Israelson Irving Horowitz 
THE NEW YORK TIMES National News Desk 
c/o Evening Express-Herald Press THE NEW YORK TIMES 
Portland, Maine N.Y., N.Y. 

Long and short range LDF legal objectives have been met with the 
Westberry victory: 

Across the country, where similar maximum grant suits are now 
pending in ten other states, it now becomes likely that similar decisions 
will be obtained. 

. The part of the decision invalidating the maximum grant prohibits 
the state from discriminating between large and small families in 
distributing AFDC funds. Thus the decision means that 52 families 
currently affected by the maximum grant provision will receive AFDC 
benefits permitting them to live in decency and health. 

If our experience proves consistent, we anticipate that states in 
Which no such AFDC suits have been filed will voluntarily abandon 
Maximum grant laws as their respective communities raise the issue. 

The positive results, from an immediate viewpoint, are that 6,180 
Maine families subject to the Maximum Budgeted Requirements Law are 
now encouraged to work. 

The state must now create budget allowances based on actual need 
for these families rather than the artificial "maximum budgeted 
requirements" of $300. : 

These families will now be permitted to earn monies reflecting 
the difference between their actual need and their AFDC grant before 
suffering a reduction of the grant. 

Jack Greenberg, Director-Counsel 

NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund 
10 Columbus Circle, New York City ane. 

NOTE: The LDF was established by the NAACP, but we are a completely 
separate and distinct organization, even though the initials are retained 
in our name.

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