* AP…
Social service providers working without pay because of Illinois’ budget troubles say they still haven’t been compensated after lawmakers approved a short-term spending plan. The providers say they will push ahead with a lawsuit to force funding.
The Pay Now Illinois coalition is suing Gov. Bruce Rauner and state agencies because of fallout from the budget impasse. Attorneys for the coalition and Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office appeared in court Wednesday. Both sides want time to revise court documents to reflect budget developments.
* From the plaintiff’s filing…
1. Since the filing of Plaintiffs’ Second Amended Complaint, the General Assembly passed, and Defendant Rauner signed into law Senate Bill 2047—a “stop-gap” budget bill—on June 30th.
2. This budget still fails to provide sufficient funding to fully compensate the plaintiffs for the services they were contracted to perform in fiscal year 2016.
3. Nonetheless, it is a complicated bill that changes the posture of the case sufficiently to warrant an amendment to the complaint. […]
6. Because this “stop-gap” budget does not adequately address the irreparable injury faced by the plaintiffs, and especially in light of the uncertainty regarding how it will be administered, plaintiffs still plan to seek preliminary relief.
7. There are instances in which no money has been appropriated for contracts in fiscal year 2016, and in many cases plaintiffs do not know when or if they will be paid under these contracts at all. As set forth in plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction, many providers have cancelled or are about to cancel programs because there is no money left to pay the staff.
8. However, as the budget does provide appropriations to pay for at least some of the services performed under some of the contracts at issue, plaintiffs seek to file an amended motion for preliminary injunction in order to properly advise the Court of the facts justifying that relief.
Emphasis added for obvious reasons.
Oy.
Some new plaintiffs were added as well. Click here to see the list.
- wordslinger - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 2:40 pm:
Disgraceful, bustout tactics.
It was only fear of schools not opening that got Rauner to agree to 65 cents on the dollar.
In that respect, his business practices are exactly the same as the national GOP leader who he went even name.
- Honeybear - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 2:49 pm:
You don’t have to pay what doesn’t survive.
It’s the feature not a bug.
Gov. and Dr. Rauners tactic all along.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 2:51 pm:
To the Post,
Important points to remember…
1) “Who” is named in the lawsuit? “Who”? The others named, “Who” do they work for?
2) While “some” aren’t in the same position they were before the stop gap, the choices made within the stopgap were chosen by “Who” so that a signature would happen.
3) The stopgap highlights purposeful choices happening by those “Who” are promoting the crushing of the Social Services net.
4) When a governor’s word is the basis by which that governor allows groups and organizations to be trapped into a squeezing of the beast, because good people trusted a governor, and that governor signed contracts or won’t honor contracts, purposely, allowing this governor to prey on the good faith to ensnare them.
Those knowing these things and refusing to acknowledge what’s happening or staying on the sidelines because they personally don’t want to “make waves”…
… “How do you sleep?”
- Anon221 - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 2:56 pm:
I’ve asked before… what happens to payments owed to providers who have been put out of business by this theft? Especially those that dug deep into their own reserves and did not have to go into debt to stay afloat as long as they did. Is that just “savings” for Illinois??? A positive in Rauner’s CEO ledger???
- Mama - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 3:05 pm:
“It was only fear of schools not opening that got Rauner to agree to 65 cents on the dollar.”
wordslinger, now P-12 is taken care of for the year, how will Madigan get Rauner to agree to anything the end of Dec. when the Stopgap budget expires?
- Pawn - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 3:06 pm:
Right, OW, this lawsuit directly holds accountable the administration that has chosen the hostage strategy.
Ron Sandack sleeps on weekends, LOL!
- Mama - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 3:08 pm:
“I’ve asked before… what happens to payments owed to providers who have been put out of business by this theft?”
I sincerely hope those providers are a part of the lawsuit and get what they are owed. The sad part is they may have to declare bankruptcy before they get the money the state owes them.
- @MisterJayEm - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 3:10 pm:
Bruce Rauner views Illinois social services as nothing more than a political wedge issue:
Bruce Rauner, September 18, 2012. http://wglt.org/post/illinois-issues-social-cost-rauner-v-labor
And as promised, Rauner is hammering the wedges.
– MrJM
- steward - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 3:11 pm:
Willful… Deliberate… Destruction.
This is plan B of the “burnitdown agenda.” If unions can’t immediately be destroyed then put some hostages to death so a new private social net and university system can rise from the ashes.
K-12 were the hostages he wasn’t willing to hold. Social service providers? That is just fine in his book…
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 3:16 pm:
- @MisterJayEm -
Well played. The Administration’s actions mirror perfectly the words of the Private Citizen Rauner just a few short years ago.
Nothing that is going on is accidental.
(Hat tip to - Pawn - )
- Stuff Happens - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 3:19 pm:
We’ve had to turn away foster placements because agencies aren’t paying stipends for foster care. We’re managing with our current foster children, but we can’t afford to take more — especially with the risk of higher insurance premiums for state employees hanging over our heads.
- Dome Gnome - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 4:05 pm:
The link promising a list of new plaintiffs doesn’t deliver. I’d love to see the list.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 4:07 pm:
Some agencies got zero for contracts, and many more got some but not nearly enough, for FY16 or the first half of FY17. The stopgap may keep some providers going, but it won’t get anyone out of danger.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 4:24 pm:
“Bruce has no social agenda”…
… as the lawsuit of the quoted President of Ounce continues to be at odds with the person she vouched for less than 2 years ago.
Wow.
- Pawn - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 5:28 pm:
Done Gnome, read the filing. They are listed in it.
- Pawn - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 5:29 pm:
Done Gnome, read the filing. The new plaintiffs are listed in it.
- Illinoisvoter - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 6:12 pm:
Which side are you on? Can still remember the weight of that book as I read it read it standing
up in my bookshop. Tom Geoghegan challenging an
attempt to stiff those who provide to others in
need well that my friends is about as choice
as it gets.
- Dome Gnome - Thursday, Jul 14, 16 @ 12:33 pm:
== Pawn - Wednesday, Jul 13, 16 @ 5:29 pm:
Dome Gnome, read the filing. The new plaintiffs are listed in it. ==
Thanks! I must have scanned it too quickly. Missed it the first time.