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* E-mail from the Rauner campaign…
ICYMI: Fighting Opioid Epidemic on Many Fronts
With a national spotlight being shone on the issue, Governor Rauner’s team is working to curb addiction
The nationwide opioid epidemic has attracted attention in states across the U.S., but here in Illinois, Governor Rauner’s task force is already working to curtail its spread. The Opioid Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force has already made it easier to get life-saving medications to prevent overdose, and now they are travelling the state, collecting information to help prevent the spread of addiction.
* The campaign e-mail linked to this editorial in the Daily Herald…
On Wednesday, Gov. Bruce Rauner’s Opioid Prevention and Intervention Task Force began a state tour in search of information and partners to help implement the state’s Opioid Action Plan to curtail the growing opioid overdose epidemic in Illinois.
The Task Force met in Chicago Wednesday and will be in Champaign and Mount Vernon in downstate Illinois this week.
“The opioid epidemic knows no neighborhood, no color, and no class. It is not confined to alleys in urban settings, nor isolated in rural communities,” said Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti of Wheaton, the task force chair. “We are traveling the state to collect research and hear stories of those impacted by this growing opioid overdose epidemic so we can take action to save lives.”
* Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie) wrote an essay today about the “history of the Rauner Administration’s attempts since taking office to undermine a 2015 bi-partisan law, The Heroin Crisis Act, that serves as a national model to address the heroin crisis”…
Going back to March 2014, House Speaker Michael Madigan had already established a 39-member bi-partisan Heroin Crisis Task Force, which I chaired, and that month the full House had approved unanimously a resolution, HR 883, declaring a “Heroin State of Emergency in Illinois” and calling on the legislature to “develop a comprehensive, bold, and durable package of legislative proposals to combat the heroin crisis” – which, after multiple statewide hearings, the legislature set out to do.
After 14 months of work and hearing from more than 300 witnesses, the legislature put on the new governor’s desk the comprehensive, bi-partisan bill, House Bill 1, which I sponsored, and estimated to invest $25 to $75 million annually to fight the epidemic. The legislation included, among many other provisions, requirements that insurance providers offer coverage for medically necessary acute treatment and clinical stabilization services and that Medicaid provide all medication assisted drug treatment (injectable naltrexone, methadone, suboxone, Vivitrol, etc.) without utilization controls or prior authorization. Those provisions were opposed by Rauner’s Departments of Insurance and Healthcare and Family Services.
Despite House and Senate approval, 114-0 and 46-4, respectively, Rauner vetoed the bi-partisan bill while the heroin epidemic raged statewide. That veto sparked the first revolt by Republican lawmakers who joined with Democrats in the House and Senate to override the governor, 105-5 and 44-11, respectively.
The Rauner Administration retaliated to the bi-partisan repudiation by slow-walking the implementation of multiple provisions and failure to implement others. For example, the governor has failed to fully enforce mental health parity laws. That sabotage pushed me to introduce this year fresh, clean up legislation, HB 68, on which I consulted with the Kennedy Forum and other mental health experts, to force the governor to adhere to the current law.
Not satisfied with undermining the implementation of HB 1, the Rauner’s Administration also this year pushed legislation, HB 2908, sponsored by a top gubernatorial House ally, State Rep. Patti Bellock (R-Hinsdale), that sought to gut the Medicaid financing of medically assisted heroin treatment by re-imposing drug utilization requirements and requiring prior authorization, choking off medications for low-income individuals seeking treatment. I stifled that cynical move. Dead. The effort to weaken Medicaid funding came on top of Rauner’s move in Fiscal Year 2016 to slash state funding for drug treatment providers by 25%. And in the new state budget, Rauner killed a $1.2 million grant to the Rockford-based Rosecrance’s drug treatment triage center.
Thus, Rauner’s opioid advisory council and phantom strategy – two-and-half years after entering office – are nothing but disgraceful and cynical exercises to advance his wobbly reelection hopes. If the Illinois’ opioid crisis has worsened, it’s because Governor Rauner and his administration’s willful neglect and sabotage.
Ouch.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:23 pm
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Rep. Lang is correct on every point.
Gov. Rauner is “winning” from behind on this one. It’s really pathetic when lives are on the line.
Comment by Try-4-Truth Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:29 pm
Go get ‘em Lou.
Comment by Norseman Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:34 pm
Rauner’s traveling team needs to be asked point blank at the meetings throughout the state why Rauner is so concerned now about the opioid crisis that he helped exacerbate. Lang provides excellent points to start the line of questioning from. Also, the press should press Rauner at each and every presser, too. This “saviour” persona Rauner is trotting out lately just to get reelected is pure hypocrisy.
Comment by Anon221 Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:36 pm
Task force and board meetings are all bound by the Open Meetings Act. I don’t care who is on it or what body enacted it, task forces are an absolute waste of time. Anyone who wants to dispute me, go sit in on some meetings, and if the mood strikes you, sign up for the public comment section!
Comment by Reaganing Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:39 pm
Another Lou Lecture.
He is one of the most partisan, bombastic, hyper-political members of the General Assembly. Glad he got his obligatory tribute to the all powerful and gracious “House Speaker Michael Madigan”. Madigan has certainly never used any issue like this for political gain!
Comment by Redux Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:40 pm
===task forces are an absolute waste of time===
“Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti of Wheaton, the task force chair”
You’re welcome.
Comment by Cubs in '16 Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:48 pm
“Madigan has certainly never used any issue like this for political gain!”
“Because… Madigan!” may no longer be as effective as you think it is.
– MrJM
Comment by @MisterJayEm Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:48 pm
Simple question - if you cared why’d you veto the bill?
If the legislators cared why did 5 House members and 11 Senate members not go against your override? Do they not care about kids dying and the State of Emergency that is the opiod crisis?
I think any of the legislators who voted against override should watch carefully. This Gov just sold you out to be the legislators that wanted kids to die of Heroin. He’s covering his tail, by this task force so people forget the veto, did you or can you cover yours? Here come the ads.
Comment by DuPage Bard Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 3:54 pm
Gov. Gaslight is one mean, vindictive, hypocritical individual.
Comment by Nick Name Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 4:16 pm
There outta be a game, picking which stories will become TV ads next summer.
Comment by Anonymous Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 4:20 pm
–He is one of the most partisan, bombastic, hyper-political members of the General Assembly.–
Now that you’ve got that off your chest, dissect Lang’s essay and point out its flaws.
If you coulda, you woulda, already.
By his actions, Rauner clearly didn’t give a hoot about the opioid epidemic occurring on his watch until election time. Years have been lost in dealing with it.
That’s on Rauner alone — and not the overwhelming, bipartisan majority of legislators who empowered the executive branch to act.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Oct 13, 17 @ 4:29 pm