Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Program for troubled teens codified into state law

Posted in:

Illinois

* One of the many bills Gov. Rauner signed this past Friday codified the state’s Teen REACH (Responsibility, Education, Achievement, Caring, and Hope) program, subject to appropriation, and laying out some broad policy goals.

Law enforcement officials praised the law today via press release…

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has signed into law SB2407, which ensures that the Teen REACH after-school program will have a statutory home in state law. The bipartisan bill protects and provides clarity of intent and purpose for a program that is proven to boost graduation rates and significantly reduce crime.

“I am delighted that the Governor has embraced this vital investment in Illinois’ kids,” said Peoria County Sheriff Michael McCoy. “We have five Teen REACH sites here in my county, and I’ve seen first-hand the effect it has had on public safety. Instead of being out on the street during the after-school hours, exposed to drugs and criminal activity, teens are learning life skills in a safe place.”

McCoy was one of 119 Illinois law enforcement leaders who signed a letter to Governor Rauner in support of the bill.

“Teen REACH is an asset to communities around the state,” said the letter, “and there is no doubt our law enforcement jobs would be even more difficult if not for after-school programs. If we don’t preserve and invest in these strategies, we’re pulling the rug out from under vulnerable kids. And taxpayers will pick up the tab later through the far more expensive criminal justice system.”

The new measure will help create a specific line item for Teen REACH in the state’s annual budget. In addition, it establishes the outcomes the program must address, such as educational performance; life skills; parental education; recreation, sports, cultural, and artistic activities; service learning opportunities; and development of positive adult mentors.

The past year’s budget impasse and the lack of a full-year FY2017 state budget, however, continues to negatively impact the ability to provide consistent, high quality after-school programs. Even with the new law, Teen REACH is subject to the appropriations process.

“We are glad the stopgap budget has given us some relief,” said Quincy Chief of Police Robert Copley, who also signed the letter to the governor. “The Quincy Teen REACH hadn’t received any state money for more than a year, and we had to patch together funding from other sources. We’ve got to give these proven programs the kind of consistent support that they – and our communities – deserve.”

The stopgap measure, agreed to by the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor on June 30, provides $13.1 million for Teen REACH for FY2016 and the first six months of FY2017. Law enforcement leaders in Illinois agree, however, that consistent, full-year funding is necessary to repair the damage done by the state’s budget impasse: during the crisis, Teen REACH providers were forced to curtail their programming or close entirely. At least one out of every eight youths recently helped by Teen REACH lost access to the program.

SB 2407 was championed by Sen. Toi Hutchinson and Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth and gathered an impressive list of bi-partisan sponsors before unanimous passage in both the House and Senate. By now becoming law with Governor Rauner’s signature, SB2407 is an important step in the right direction to preserve this key public safety program.

How Teen REACH invests in Illinois’ kids:

· 99.8% of Teen REACH youth were safe from violence during program hours in 2013 –including during the after-school hours known as the “prime time for juvenile crime.”

· 77% of Teen REACH youth improved anger-management and conflict-resolution skills through the program in 2013.

· 99.3% of Teen REACH high school seniors graduated in 2013.

· 93% of participants in 2014 improved their grades.

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Illinois is an anti-crime membership organization of more than 300 police chiefs, sheriffs, state’s attorneys, and other law enforcement leaders.

Discuss.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Aug 2, 16 @ 11:08 am

Comments

“subject to appropriation”

Is there any money for this program?

Comment by Joe M Tuesday, Aug 2, 16 @ 11:12 am
I meant is there money for this program after the stopgap budget. My Republican representative’s answer to fully funding higher ed and just about everything else, is there is no money. It would be sad to see a program like this die, like so many other Illinois programs are.

Comment by Joe M Tuesday, Aug 2, 16 @ 11:15 am
It’s critical fit credibility of any governor, Rauner or not, that when they sign on a program or even a contract of services, that the codifying or the contract are met and the program and the policies, that the program is pushing forward, are met with the appropriate… appropriation. Period.

It’s programming and codifying programs into a locker structure that need to be addressed by a signed budget, not judicial decree.

My hope, then, is that signing this will remind the governor that important things are weighed and measured by a budgetary, monetary, measure.

The other shoe dropping should be funding, not a court appearance to taint the good that’s trying to be done.

OW

Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Aug 2, 16 @ 11:26 am
Expansion of programs like this that work. Elimination or reformulation of programs that do little. This is what we thought we would get from a businessman Governor. Good job to all on this.

Comment by Last Bull Moose Tuesday, Aug 2, 16 @ 11:27 am
Joe, yes there was some money for the program in the stop gap budget, but it wasn’t in the Governor’s proposed budget this year or last. So if we see a continuing trend, the Governor’s office will send out a proclamation or resolution stating the importance of this program… just like he did for breast cancer

Comment by Miss Marie Tuesday, Aug 2, 16 @ 12:07 pm
===This is what we thought we would get from a businessman Governor.==

Sorry, who got something?

Please, be specific.

We also have education, healthcare, and homecare for all. Subject to appropriation.

Comment by crazybleedingheart Tuesday, Aug 2, 16 @ 12:43 pm
Never forget who first cut all funding for Teen Reach, including the program at the Rauner Family YMCA.

http://www.ymcachicago.org/blog/entry/teen-reach/

This is another example where Democratic leadership helped restore (hopefully with appropriations) a program cut by Rauner. He signed the legislation. Where was the Republican outcry initially??? Both Durkin and Radogno didn’t join as co-sponsors until the heavy lifting had been done. Passed unanimously out of both houses. Burning bridges to “build” a stopgap bridge??? Yep- that’s the Rauner Way. And if he does try to take credit for this, I hope some one calls him on it at a presser!

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=2407&GAID=13&GA=99&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=93886&SessionID=88

Comment by Anon221 Tuesday, Aug 2, 16 @ 2:27 pm
“subject to appropriation” sums it up.

I know of several of these programs which had been in place for a significant time and which halted temporarily when funding was suspended on Easter and then terminated when funds weren’t appropriated. Will cost more to get those programs back up to speed if entities are still even interested in doing business with state.

Comment by logic not emotion Tuesday, Aug 2, 16 @ 3:46 pm