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 July 16, 2025.
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J _bomestic service \ Check the class of service desired; $ } dl 1 T 1a) 67 N cele WESTERN UNIOD bE vpblberegrs tas gta |S VIO LIININ 4 | TELEGRAM oe 1211 (4-55) ara E TELEGRAM 2 crinaabhaches! Ry W. P. MARSHALL, paesicent K sHoRE-SHIP eles [[o. wos-cu. oF sve. | room cou] CASH NO. I CHARGE TO THE ACCOUNT OF 1 ca | 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.