Providers for those with developmental disabilities are pressuring Arizona lawmakers to set aside more money for them in next year’s budget.

They say without the extra funding the state’s new minimum wage could put many of them out of business.

When Arizona voters upped the minimum wage to $10 an hour, that didn’t apply to state employees, but it did to the businesses and nonprofits that get paid by the state to provides services for adults with developmental disabilities. Many are already operating on shoestring budgets because the Legislature has not fully funded them for years.

Stuart Goodman, who is the lobbyist for the Arizona Association of Providers for People with Disabilities, says they need $74 million to cover the impacts of the minimum-wage hike.

“What we are seeing is a system that is on the verge of collapsing as a result of the challenges with the uncertainty of funding combined with the certainty of personnel related costs and expenditures," Goodman said.

He said the governor’s proposed budget recommends only about $16 million, while the legislative budget office is closer to $60 million.

Even if the final budget does go with that higher recommended funding level, Goodman said that will still most likely result in some providers shutting down.