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Frontline nursing home workers are at the Capitol today, joined by lawmakers and senior advocates, releasing findings from a new report on the state of long-term care in Illinois.

Despite $15 billion in public funding over the past five years—including hundreds of millions intended to support staffing—1 in 5 nursing homes still fail to meet the legal minimum staffing standards. These standards were enacted in 2010 to protect residents and improve care. In 2019, the legislature—working with groups like AARP and the Alzheimer’s Association—passed fines to hold facilities accountable, which finally went into effect in January. After 14 years of lead time, the industry is already lobbying to weaken those fines.

That’s why workers are calling for action—not only to protect the law as written, but to go further. They’re backing a Direct Care Minimum bill that would ensure public dollars go toward staffing and resident care—an approach used in Illinois home care and other states’ nursing home systems.

Meanwhile, the industry is also in the Capitol today. We don’t know all they’re asking for—but any new funding must come with real accountability and transparency. In this moment, as Medicaid faces national threats, it’s more important than ever that we get this right and ensure public dollars serve the people they were meant to help.