Below is a letter from Barry Taylor of Equip for Equality regarding The Consent
Decrees.
-Tony
Colleagues,
Yesterday, the ACLU of Illinois, Equip for Equality and the pro bono law firm
Dentons filed emergency motions seeking court orders to ensure that services for
people with disabilities under the three community integration Consent Decrees
continue despite the lack of a new state budget. Federal judges entered orders
requiring the State of Illinois to continue funding in Ligas v. Norwood and Colbert v.
Rauner. (Copies of the court orders are attached.) The decree in Ligas covers
people with developmental disabilities living in large state-funded facilities seeking
to move into the community, as well as people with developmental disabilities living
in the family home seeking community services. The decree in Colbert covers
people with mental illness and/or physical disabilities living in nursing homes in Cook
County who want to move into the community. A federal judge has been asked to
enter a similar order in Williams v. Rauner, which covers people with mental illness
living in large state-funded facilities who are seeking to move into the community.
The motion in Williams will be heard on Thursday, July 2nd.
Tony Paulauski Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
815-464-1832 (CELL)
Tony@thearcofil.org
