Arc and Court Orders State to Maintain Funding for Disability Services
I know that many of you have questions about the injunction the court approved filed by
Equip for Equality and the ACLU on the behalf of Ligas Class members.
This morning I talked to some of the lead attorneys in Ligas and asked if the injunction
applied to everyone in the developmental disability system or just Ligas Class members?
The response was that it only applied to Ligas Class members but there is a big catch so
stay with me.
Let’s say a Ligas Class member is living with three other non-class members in a CILA.
While you would get the funding for the Ligas Class member and not for the non-class
members the living situation would be a risk of closing because of lack of funding. If this
would be the case, the services to that Ligas Class member would have to continue and
you should be in contact with Barry Taylor at Equip for Equality as I stated yesterday in
my memo to you. I will resend that memo once again.
This same situation applies to employment, day training, etc…
Services must continue for Ligas Class members.
Story on the injunction below.
ACLU Obtains Court Orders To Maintain State Funding To Help
People With Disabilities
July 1, 2015 2:22 PM
(CBS) — The American Civil Liberties Union says it’s gotten court orders keeping state
budget money flowing to help many people with physical and psychological disabilities,
reports WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore.
ACLU Illinois went to federal court and won orders protecting the services for many
people with physical and intellectual disabilities who are in home care.
Associate legal director Benjamin Wolf says that applies without a state budget.
“The principal that applies is that federal law trumps state law, so even though there
is no authority under state law for this spending at this moment, there are federal
court consent decrees that were designed to protect the rights of our clients,” he said.
Wolf says the Rauner administration agrees with that and help for the mentally ill,
considered in another case.
There is already an agreement to continue funding for people in the care of the
Department of Children and Family Services.
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
