SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – As the 11-month budget impasse in Illinois continues to harm vulnerable individuals who cannot access vital services, state Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, is urging Gov. Rauner to sign bipartisan legislation and provide emergency funding for thousands of organizations in Illinois on the brink of collapse.
"We have a responsibility to prevent the ongoing conflict in Springfield from hurting the thousands of families in Illinois who rely on Illinois for care for their elderly relatives, access to preventative medical testing and support for people with developmental disabilities," Smiddy said. "Governor Rauner has held up the critical aid within this bill almost a month. I urge him to promptly sign this legislation and return to the negotiating table with me in good faith to work out a larger compromise to provide the stability Illinois desperately needs."
On May 12, Smiddy backed Senate Bill 2038 which provides emergency support for services for the developmentally disabled, seniors needing in-home care to avoid nursing homes, breast and cervical cancer testing, and treatment for Illinois women and many other critical programs. The legislation received bipartisan support, and was sent to the governor on May 18; no member of the General Assembly voted against it.
“It can’t be acceptable to purposefully hurt our kids, people with disabilities, the elderly, and those who are ill – just to reach an unrelated political objective,” said Gary Weinstein, CEO of Transitions Mental Health Services in Rock Island. “Good people get hurt when these services are not available, and homelessness, unemployment, dropping out of school, untreated illnesses, substance abuse and negative behaviors all increase, while the workers providing these services lose their jobs. Entire families, businesses, schools, and neighborhoods all are feeling the impact, and we urge Gov. Rauner to sign the stop-gap measure today and ask all the leaders to pass a fair FY16 and FY17 budget now before more people get hurt.”
For more information on these or any state issue, please contact Smiddy’s full-time constituent service office at 309-848-9098 or email RepSmiddy@gmail.com.
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