The Arc of Illinois Weekly Update

Happy Developmental Disability Awareness Month!  Now more than ever, individuals, families and service providers need to come together to advocate at the state and national level for community living.  This has been a busy week for intellectual and developmental disability advocates.  Highlights in this update include:

  • Ligas Consent Decree hearing
  • SB 955 (Wage Bill)
  • Failed Grand Bargain/State Budget
  • Action Alert:  Medicaid/ACA
  • Resources & Upcoming Events

Ligas in Court Yesterday

Yesterday, the judge heard from both parties and the Court Monitor in the 5th annual hearing.  There was an agreement all sides were at an impasse and there was a debate over the sufficiency of the funds provided by the state for ICFs and CILAs that impact quality.  The plaintiffs indicated that they will be filling a motion for enforcement.  This and the state response are expected in April and May with a court date later in the summer.

Grand Bargain Fails in Senate

The post mortem is still being done on the failure by the Senate to pass a grand bargain, the package of 13 bills that would have address revenue and some structural reforms.  It is generally agreed that the Governor’s Office intervene and indicated that the package did not include enough of what the Governor had wanted. We will look to the House next week to see if they move towards a posal another stopgap budget to make sure some funding continues.  If this happens, it is unclear if the Governor would sign it.

 

SB 955 Passes Out of Committee

The Community Disability Living Wage Act, SB 955, which would ensure stability and access to services for individuals receiving services by raising the wage of the workforce passed by a vote of 6-2 along partisan lines.  See here for the vote.  Thank you to all the 2000 individuals and organizations that sent slips of support for the bill!  Please call your legislators to sign on as a co-sponsor to SB 955 and HB 2920 in the House!

 

Button that says Act Now

Take Action To Prevent Gutting of the ACA and Medicaid

It is expected that the House will take up as early as next week a healthcare bill that has not been shared or scored yet.  Call your Senators and Representatives today 202-224-3121.  Now is the time for ACTION, remember every call matters!  Don’t let them take away health care and services for millions of people and replace it with a plan that CUTS Medicaid.

What to Say:

  • I am a member of The Arc.
  • I am a person with I/DD or I am a family member of someone with I/DD or I am a professional in the disability field.
  • Do NOT repeal with ACA without a good replacement.
  • Do NOT allow cuts to Medicaid to be part of any replacement.
  • The ACA and Medicaid helps me/my family member to have health care and community based services.

 

Important Dates!