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Veto Session Update
A few weeks ago in November, I was back in Springfield
for a short, one week, veto session.
Two issues that I seemed to get the most letters and calls from
constituents about were the Governor’s Emergency Budget Act and Senate
Bill 934, which contained an amendment for autism insurance reform.
The Emergency Budget Act did not even make it to a
vote on the house floor. We began
a debate about it and the Governor’s office pulled it fairly quickly. The overall consensus was that we did
not want to give the Governor authority to require contingency reserves of 8%
of funds from the General Revenue Fund for his use.
Senate Bill 934, however, passed both houses and I was
happy to support it. Families
with an autistic child are very often put under both emotional and financial
strain. Senate Bill 934 will
require insurance companies to cover up to $36,000 of services for children
with autism. In many, if not
most, cases, this will not come close to covering the cost of necessary
therapies. But it is certainly a
step in the right direction.
In addition to these bills, just as the veto session
concluded, we learned that the Governor had approved much needed supplemental
appropriations the General Assembly had approved back in September for mental
health, substance abuse programs, and for those with developmental
disabilities. However, the
appropriations to other state agencies (Attorney General, Comptroller, etc)
were denied.
My Involvement in the Legislative Task Force on Employment
of Persons with Past Criminal Convictions
In
September of this year, I was appointed to be part of a legislative task
force, specifically the Subcommittee on Post-Discharge Community Support
Systems, which looked to make recommendations to eliminate hurdles to
employment for those released from prison, with the specific goal of reducing
recidivism. I think this issue an
important one in the Illinois because, statistics show, if those who get out
prison have no way to rehab back into the community, they are most likely
going to end up back in prison.
My subcommittee held two roundtable discussions with
experts in the field and came up with a report that will be combined with the
other subcommittee’s reports and presented to the General
Assembly.
At the top of our recommendations was the overarching
issue that Illinois does not have reliable, readily accessible information on
the services currently being provided to this population, particularly the
60+ agencies with state contracts. Absent is concrete information on
numbers served, numbers wait-listed, services provided, and use of
evidence-based practices, etc. With such information, gaps in services, such
as substance abuse treatment programs, could be identified and cost-benefit
analyses could be performed showing where to most effectively invest public
and private safety dollars, and measure a “successful” re-entry
to the community. I hope this
issue can be addressed by the General Assembly in the upcoming session.
LIHEAP Applications
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
is available for those with low incomes who need help paying for winter
energy services. LIHEAP is funded by the U.S. Department of Health
& Human Services and the State of Illinois. Energy assistance is
provided by local community action agencies or not-for-profit agencies
throughout the state. You may contact the agency provider in your area to
apply for assistance. LIHEAP will provide a one-time benefit to
eligible households to be used for energy bills. The amount of the benefit is
determined by income, household size, fuel type and geographic location. An
overdue bill or cut-off notice is not required. You do not have to own your
home or pay energy bills directly to be eligible for assistance. Your source
of fuel does not have to be natural gas or electricity in order to receive
assistance. Emergency assistance may be available if your household is
disconnected from an energy source needed for heating and/or a delivered-fuel
supplier has refused to deliver, and the tank contains 10% or less.
In this area, LIHEAP is provided through CEDA, the
Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County. For more
information please contact them at 1-800-571-2332. You can apply for
LIHEAP at various local organizations including Maine Township, North Shore
Senior Center, and CEDA Northwest in Mt. Prospect
Change is in the Air
The November election brought about numerous changes
in the Illinois House. Democrats
now occupy 70 of 118 seats - one shy of a super majority that is necessary to
override a gubernatorial veto or increase the state's borrowing
authority. In addition, several
more senior members on both sides of the aisle retired but their party
retained the seat.
Overall, there will be 12 new House members. So I was thrilled to be invited to
speak to the new members at their orientation session the week before Thanksgiving. I was part of a panel addressing
Environment and Energy issues.
The discussion focused on climate change, clean air and water as well
as invasive species and a myriad of other issues.
It was
great to meet the new members, hear their questions and try to give them some
tips on maneuvering through the Illinois House. It made me realize how much I have
learned in my six years in the General Assembly - and how important it is for
new members to have mentors. I
look forward to continuing to work with these newly minted legislators!
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