The Arc of Illinois offered recommendations to the transition policy staff as well as to the Healthy Children and Families and the Equality, Equity and Opportunity committees.
Here is part of the press release and link to each of the reports. You will see that many are top line and although disability is included, it is not featured in most. The wage issue was lifted up a bit more.
With input from more than 400 stakeholders representing both political parties, all regions of the state and diverse viewpoints, the Pritzker administration published 11 transition committee reports with recommendations about how the state can move forward in a variety of ways.
The transition committees made recommendations for the future of the state in the following categories:
• Growing Our Agricultural Economy
• Budget and Innovation
• Educational Success
• Equality, Equity, and Opportunity
• Healthy Children and Families
• Restoring Illinois’ Infrastructure
• Job Creation and Economic Opportunity
• Powering Illinois’ Future
• Restorative Justice and Safe Communities
• Serving Illinois’ Heroes
• Illinois’ Emerging Leaders
The reports can be viewed here.
Minimum Wage Moves to the House
Last week, the Senate passed along party lines a minimum wage increase that would raise the statewide minimum wage to $15 per hour in six years. As previously shared, there would be two increases in 2020 (in Jan and July so two different fiscal years) of $1.75 total and then additional $1 increases in subsequent years. The House is being asked to vote on the bill without amendments so that it can go to the Governor’s desk before his February 20 budget address. Joining with the They Deserve More Coalition and Illinois Partners for Human Services, the Arc is advocating to ensure that Illinois fulfills’ its promise to increase DSP wages to ensure that frontline staff supporting people with disabilities continue to receive more that minimum wage. We must address the staff crisis as well as support an increased minimum wage.
We will need to continue to advocate to ensure increases are made to stay above minimum wage as well as to ensure that wage compression issues also be addressed with this increase. Here is the information about the bills put out by the They Deserve More Coalition working to address the staffing crisis:
The bills just filed in the Illinois General Assembly – HB 2148 and SB 1148 – would provide a long-overdue solution to the Illinois DSP staffing crisis. The legislation would increase rates and reimbursements so that DSPs earn a base wage of at least $5.25 per hour above the highest applicable minimum wage by July 2019, and at least $6.75 per hour above the highest applicable minimum wage by July 2021. Stay tuned at– theydeservemore.com – and your email for more updates and action steps.
Shout out to Michael Glanz, CEO of the Arc of the Quad Cities, who is featured in this article about the increase here.
Meg Cooch
Executive Director
The Arc of Illinois
20901 S. LaGrange Rd. Suite 209
Frankfort, IL 60423
815-464-1832 (OFFICE)
Meg@thearcofil.org