This is a busy week in Springfield!
CALLS TO ACTION:
Support Sexual Health,
Sexual Safety Education
Call your legislators to support HB 3299, which requires access to sexual
health, sexual education and sexual safety training for people with
intellectual and developmental disabilities living in CILAs, ICFDDs and
SODCs. Here is a fact sheet from the Illinois
Guardianship and Advocacy Commission (GAC) HB3299 Fact sheet.pdf. Please help take
action by sending your Illinois State Senator an email at this link.
Call to Support Wage
Increase to Address Staffing Crisis
Yesterday, members of the They Deserve More coalition met state representatives
in Springfield and delivered postcards to Governor
JB Pritzker‘s office — urging them to support people with
disabilities and their caregivers by providing DSPs a living wage. #TheyDeserveMore. Tell YOUR state
legislators to support people with disabilities and thepeople who serve them: http://qoo.ly/x9zcm
In addition to visits from advocates, this week Senate Appropriations Committee
heard about both the need to increase wages for direct support professionals
and the need for increases in rates for 5% increase for services through the
I/DD system. A huge thanks to all those who called or slipped last week in support
of this effort.
The Arc Supports the Fair
Tax – Legislators need to hear from US!
We urge you to call 888-412-6570 right now to tell your State Representative
you support a Fair Tax! Each day we come closer to a vote on the Fair
Tax. Call now: 888-412-6570. You will be asked to enter your zip
code and then will be connected with your representatives’ offices. You can say
the following when you are connected (or leave a message as follows):
- I am calling to let the Representative know we need a Fair Tax now.
- I am a resident of the Representative’s district and I support a Fair Tax. A Fair Tax will raise $3 billion of for schools and other public services that our community needs.
- 97% of people in Illinois will pay the same or lower taxes – all while making sure the wealthy start to pay their fair share.
- I urge the Representative to VOTE YES on Fair Tax.
ISC AUDIT RESOLUTION
Wednesday, HR 214, the resolution that directs the Auditor General to conduct a
management audit of the Department of Human Services’ process for selecting
Independent Service Coordination agencies for the Fiscal Year commencing July
1, 2019, was voted out of committee 14-0. Here is the link to the bill.
LIGAS CONSENT DECREE
UPDATE
Today Ligas was back in court. Both sides were pleased with the latest
status and steps that are being taken by the state to address issues. The
two concerns lifted up were around the fact that they were waiting on the
budget process to see if substantial progress will be made about wages and the
issues that the Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) ruled that DHS would have to go
through the regular process to hire a outside rates consultant, a process that
could take 6 months or more. DHS had been advocating that since this was
related to ongoing litigation, they could expedite the process. Judge
Coleman indicated she felt 6 months was too long and therefore called the state
attorneys to work with CPO to revisit her decision or come before the court to
explain it. The next status update in court will be June 11 at 2 pm to
discuss the outcome of the budget process and impact on the implementation
plan.
Rep. Wehrli’s task force
addresses wages for DSPs
DuPage Policy Journal, 5.03.19
State Rep. Grant Wehrli (R-Naperville) rallied members of his Developmentally
Disabled Task Force around a bill that would increase wages for those who work
with individuals with disabilities during a recent second-quarter meeting.
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/512479029-rep-wehrli-s-task-force-addresses-wages-for-dsps
CAPITAL BILL CONTINUES
TO BE DISCUSSED
We heard this week both from the Governor’s Office and Rep Mike Zalewski
(D-Riverside) regarding different strategies to a capital bill. There was
debate about a bill focused on “horizontal projects” such as roads,
bridges or a “vertical bill” that the Governor wants that is more
inclusive. Clearly there is still much discussion to be had over a very
short period of time.