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* Shortly after approving the House-passed higher ed appropriation, the Senate passed yet another appropriations bill today that includes money for some social service programs. Click here to read it. The bill passed unanimously.
Here’s a quick response from Emily Miller of Voices for Illinois Children…
SB2047 was a surprise, so advocates haven’t had time to fully review it.
Upon first glance it appears that the maintenance of effort and federal match funds were not included in the appropriation. That’s concerning moving forward because it puts a lot of federal money in jeopardy when it comes to human services in Illinois in the long term. But without new revenue, there isn’t a lot that you can do to fully fund human services. The short-term cash infusion will be helpful for many providers and will slow some bleeding, but a long-term fix is going to require new revenue.
I hope that lawmakers don’t think their job is done after passing this.
Because of constitutional requirements, the House cannot vote on the Senate proposal today.
…Adding… Rep. Guzzardi is more succinct, but no less correct…
We need. A damn. Budget. Dipping into special funds for quick fixes is only postponing the day of reckoning.
— Will Guzzardi (@WillGuzzardi) April 22, 2016
*** UPDATE *** Interesting…
Analysis of SB 2047, SA #1, reveals it covers mental health & addiction services at much lower amount than previous bill. #twill @capitolfax
— CBHA (@CBHA_NET) April 22, 2016
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 11:43 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
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===I hope that lawmakers don’t think their job is done after passing this.===
Ball game, Ms. Miller.
Ball game.
Thanks, again, for keeping the reality out in the open.
Thank YOU.
OW
Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 11:45 am
Yet another straightforward, relatively noncontroversial job they had that they didn’t do right.
Comment by Keyrock Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 11:46 am
–Upon first glance it appears that the maintenance of effort and federal match funds were not included in the appropriation.–
It’s swell that the boys and girls are finally running the bases, but let’s make sure they touch them all.
Illinois already takes a beating from the federales on return-money. Let’s not help them out.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 11:47 am
The short-term cash infusion will be helpful for many providers and will slow some bleeding, but a long-term fix is going to require new revenue.
Illinois has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. Second highest property taxes and a near record sales tax in Chicago mean that taxpayers are already squeezed pretty hard.
Comment by Muscular Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 11:54 am
I think the legislators(and executives) need an inservice on how federal funds actually work, and the importance of state matches!
Comment by Anon221 Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 11:58 am
Even when things are fully funded, people have to realize that many segments of the private social services safety net have been destroyed. So while they might fully restore funding. We have vast holes in our net that a LOT of folks are going to fall through. These holes must be found and repaired. Why found? Because the suffering are often unheard, voiceless or actively ignored. WE have a tremendous amount of work to do. It will actually take a long time to repair this catastrophic damage. A long time. These things just don’t spring back. They don’t have the money to even start back up in many cases. This is not the “free market” here. These are social services and lives that have been destroyed. I hope that Rich will continue to highlight the stories of the recovery long after funding is restored.
Comment by Honeybear Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 11:58 am
What’s interesting to watch is the dynamics of a surprise unanimous approp bill passing out of the Senate.
Comment by Sideline watcher Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 11:59 am
I’m extremely happy they have released band-aids to the bleeding hostages … but how much longer until there is full funding of these programs? The bridge has been set but on May 1st we will be 11 months into this years budget. So everyone get a pat on the back for their hard work and we’re quickly approaching next years budget. What a mess they have made of this.
Comment by BBG Watch Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 12:17 pm
Surprise votes definitely gives you that end of session feel.
Comment by Norseman Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 12:18 pm
Ms. Miller’s assertions about a need for new revenue may well be correct. She seems well-informed and sincere.
But who will pay that new revenue. The only concrete option, other than the proposed progressive income tax, still uncertain, is to continue with the flat tax, and raise it. We have heard little in recent months about expanding the service tax significantly, or taxing financial transactions (in Chicago) or taxing retirement income, even enormous required minimum distributions enjoyed by millionaires and billionaires like Mitt Romney in our society. No, the default position is to tax the middle class regressively via the existing flat tax. Is that where our political masters of both parties are leading us, while pretending they don’t want to. Save the rich and tax the middle…and tax the middle more if needed. In the end, this is the approach which would be most benefit Madigan and Rauner, both extremely wealthy men and the wealthy contributors to both parties. So of course-why are we surprised that this is where both men appear to be headed.
t/
Comment by Cassandra Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 12:39 pm
Maintenance of effort (MOE) required pursuant to the provision of Title XIX Medicaid, the Food Stamp Program (known in IL as SNAP), unemployment insurance and child welfare protective services is a “sleeping giant” that involves required minimum levels service, education and training standards for employees providing these services and no or limited privatization without federal approval. If there is a shutdown or AFSCME strike as Rauner is attempting to invoke, Illinois cannot refuse to provide for these services and must do so per established MOE. As tragic as the decimation of community based social services have been to date largely if not entirely due to Rauner, the scale and scope of the situation relative to afore mentioned services as well as potential legal exposure are comparatively magnitudes greater.
Comment by kitty Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 12:53 pm
Honeybear-
You may well be right. Maybe some elements of our population here in Illinois, and nationally, simply don’t have the economic heft to pay for the vast array of social services they need just to exist in a complex, demanding society.
But if billions are needed, who should pay. That’s what nobody wants to talk about. Who pays?
Comment by Cassandra Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 1:31 pm
Gosh, Will, why can’t you just sing kumbaya, ignore your job, wrap yourself in the flag and run a victory lap, like the rest of them.
Comment by crazybleedingheart Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 1:42 pm
The amount of funding for social services agencies will not stop them from closing. They have been attempting to provide services without any payments. The key question is whether they can pay their line of credits or have their reserves been tapped out.
Comment by So Blue Democra Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 1:46 pm
RE: CBHA update about mental health & addiction services covered at much lower amounts than previous bill -
From what I can see, that’s true of quite a few other budget lines, as well. I’m spotting cuts of as much as 65% in some programs, compared with what they’d received in FY15.
As others have said, it’s good to see this stopgap effort at assuring services of some funding before the year closes out entirely. However,
1) There will still be some deep cuts,
2) Many programs that already have had to close or cut back will not be saved from destruction - it’s too late, for many, and
3) There’s a fear these new amounts set the bar of expectations awfully low for FY17 budget hopes for many important programs.
This is a lot of repetition of what others have observed. But all these points seem to demand a lot of repetition, to avoid further calamity!
Comment by Linus Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 2:13 pm
I would add the word “balanced” to the tweet.
Comment by Rhino Slider Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 2:17 pm
Will County Health Department to lay off 53 employees, reduce programs
Spokesman: Illinois budget impasse to blame, department owed $2.1 million
http://www.theherald-news.com/2016/04/22/will-county-health-department-to-lay-off-53-employees-reduce-programs/a5auraj/
Comment by Markus Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 3:59 pm
Didn’t Emily critique previous funding bills that didn’t have funding streams? But now she’s critiquing this bill for NOT spending more than they had funding for?
Comment by MadiganBot Friday, Apr 22, 16 @ 4:16 pm