Our good friend Jacki Neil Boss is retiring her position to hit the road and see the sight of this
beautiful country with her husband Jim. Jacki shared with me her plans a while ago and now
it is public. Jacki will be at The Arc Convention next week so take time to see her.
When I was in Washington D.C. I learned that the 1115 Medicaid Transformation is in the
process of being rewritten. Expected submission date is now June according to my sources. I
know there is some concern with CMS and its expectations about statewide coverage and
infrastructure. More to come…
I was disappointed to see that the state appeals court fail to reinstate the Office of State
Guardian for residents at Murray but now surprised. This ruling has nothing to do with the
federal case which I believe will find that Governor Quinn has full authority to close the state
institution in Centralia. Story from the Bloomington Panatgraph.
Off to Evanston to meet with Rep Gable!
Tony
Opponents of Murray center closure win round in court
17 hours ago • Kurt Erickson kurt.erickson@lee.net
SPRINGFIELD — A state appeals court has ruled in favor a group of parents trying to stop
Gov. Pat Quinn from closing a state-run developmental center in Centralia.
In a decision released Wednesday, the 5th District Appellate Court in Mount Vernon turned
back attempts by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office to dismiss the case.
The decision means a public guardian can continue his job of overseeing some residents
of the Warren G. Murray Developmental Center.
The ruling stems from a decision last year in which attorney Stewart Freeman was named
as the legal guardian of 28 Murray residents after questions were raised about the
representation they were receiving from a state guardian.
In his position, Freeman has the power to block the state from taking certain steps to move
the residents out of Murray, potentially stymieing the governor’s push to shutter the facility.
In its decision, the appeals court wrote that the lower court had been precise in describing
Freeman’s role in the process.
The court also noted that the current set-up ensures that the best interests of the
residents “be considered over political and budgetary considerations surrounding the
closure of Murray.”
“Today’s ruling is really a good sign. It shows the court cares if people are going to be
harmed by being moved,” said Rita Winkeler, president of the Murray Parents Association.
In addition to the Freeman decision, a separate federal lawsuit has put the closure in
limbo.
“We’re just hoping (the federal case) goes the same way as the state court case has
gone,” said Wylie Blair, a St. Louis attorney representing the families.
Winkeler said the group continues to fight to keep Murray open as both a facility for the
developmentally disabled and a source of jobs.
Quinn had hoped to have the facility emptied by October 2013 as part of a statewide
initiative aimed at closing large institutions. He already has closed the developmental
center in Jacksonville.
A spokesman for the Department of Human Services did not immediately respond to
questions about the decision.
.
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@www.thearcofil.org
