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Budgetary omission could close domestic violence shelters

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Illinois

* The people who drafted the stopgap budget last year and the people who passed it didn’t notice that they’d left out funding for domestic violence shelters. The bill was passed so quickly that advocates didn’t notice the omission, either. And, now…

The executive director of The Women’s Center warns that without state funding in the next three months, the agency that provides services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault across eight Southern Illinois counties may be forced to shut its doors.

“If we don’t see a budget for FY17 we will be closing,” Cathy McClanahan said Monday. “We see no other option.” The fiscal year 2017 budget ends June 30, and McClanahan said that because the nonprofit agency has not received any state funding since December, it will soon burn through most of its savings and local donations to make payroll and pay overhead costs.

McClanahan said that funding for domestic violence shelters was left out of the fiscal year 2017 partial year budget that the General Assembly passed on June 30.

Therefore, The Women’s Center has not received any state money for its domestic violence shelter since July 1, though it received some federal grant dollars through December. In a typical year, the center receives $494,000 annually through its contract with the Department of Human Services, she said. McClanahan said she is holding out hope that was an oversight legislators will correct. […]

The Women’s Center’s domestic violence shelter in Carbondale houses up to 40 women and their children, she noted.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 9:28 am

Comments

It will only get worse unless Senate R’s take on Rauner.

Comment by Illinois O'Malley Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 9:32 am
I’m sure Bruce will correct this as soon as he puts down his duct tape roll and starts Doing His Job! /s

Comment by Big Joe Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 9:36 am
Release the hostages!

Comment by Ray del Camino Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 9:39 am
I thought Madigan was backing Kennedy. What happened?

Comment by Mama Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 9:49 am
“the agency that provides services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault across eight Southern Illinois counties may be forced to shut its doors.”

Southern IL female voters need to remember this when they vote in 2018: Rauner doesn’t care about you or southern IL.

Comment by Mama Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 9:54 am
Mama - “McClanahan said that funding for domestic violence shelters was left out of the fiscal year 2017 partial year budget that the General Assembly passed on June 30.”

Comment by Birdseed Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 10:09 am
The destruction of this human services infrastructure will take years to rebuild and in some places may not come back at all. Remember this is all for a wilfully chosen battle using “wedges” as weapons.

Sick and twisted.

Comment by pawn Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 10:09 am
Just a reminder - Domestic violence shelters were fully funded for FY 16 in December 2015, P.A. 99-491. They weren’t in the stopgap budget because they’d already received money. The stopgap brought every other program up to the level the shelters had already received. Just sayin’….

Comment by anon Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 10:26 am
I am literally ill after reading this.

Comment by Anon Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 10:42 am
I have said it before, I will say it again:

Unless human service agencies are prepared to point their finger squarely at Rauner and blame him for holding them hostage, they might as well close now.

Comment by Juvenal Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 12:30 pm
I am not convinced Rauner cares at all whether DV shelters close or not. Or for that matter cares whether or not government fails.

Comment by Ray Batman Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 2:19 pm
there is a great need for women and children in danger to move. just look at the 15 year old girl whose life was not only damaged by the gang rape from several 14-15 year old boys and posted live on Facebook, but her family was threatened to the point that they had to move. these kinds of services save lives.

Comment by Amalia Tuesday, Apr 4, 17 @ 2:43 pm