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Dear Friends,
What happens in Springfield affects you and your community, but especially at the end of the spring legislative session, following the action and separating rumors from fact can be difficult.
Representative Kelly Cassidy and I will host a virtual town hall this Thursday to provide you with a live update from the Capitol. Submit your questions prior to the event, and we'll answer as many as we can and email you with a response if we run out of time. Scroll down for details on how to join us on Thursday.
While work continues on a comprehensive budget, Illinoisans still don't know where the governor stands on desperately needed stopgap funding for human services providers, many of which are on the verge of running out of money and closing their doors. From Southern Illinois to the Sun-Times, pressure is building on Gov. Rauner to sign SB 2038 and provide immediate relief to the state's most vulnerable and those who are meeting their daily needs even as the state fails to meet its contractual obligations.
From the editorial board of The Southern Illinoisan: "We urge the governor to sign SB2038 ... Because all 167 'yay' votes in the General Assembly realize that the $700 million contains zero dollars from the state's General Revenue Fund. That's correct: the out-of-balance state revenue and expense picture is in no way impacted by this bill. It's money that MUST be spent on human services. $450 million comes from a dedicated 'Commitment to Human Services Fund' while the remaining $250 million comes from other state and federal (pass-through) funds. Ironic that the Governor is hesitant to release money from a 'Commitment to Human Services' fund, don't you think? Perhaps a commitment to 'winning' has clouded his sight."
And from the Sun-Times' Mitch Dudek: "Gov. Bruce Rauner on Sunday dodged the question of whether he will sign a bill on his desk that provides $700 million in emergency funding for groups that provide social services to the state's most vulnerable residents. 'These short-term fixes aren't really where we should focus our time,' he said, characterizing the legislation as a 'short-term Band-Aid...'"
You can add your voice by calling the governor's office at (312) 814-2121 or submitting your comments electronically here.
Sincerely,
Senator Heather Steans
7th District – Illinois
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