EVANSTON, Ill. - Today, at a press conference in Springfield, the Illinois chapter of the National Association of Social Workers announced their endorsement of Daniel Biss and Litesa Wallace for Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the State of Illinois.
“We’re proud to endorse Daniel Biss for governor,” said NASW IL Legislative Affairs Director Kyle Hillman. “Social workers have been on the frontlines of the budget crisis, and we know there’s no forgiving Bruce Rauner for the chaos and destruction he’s brought our communities. At the same time, we know many of our problems began before Bruce Rauner: access to care has long been restricted along lines of race, class, and geography, and decades of lawmakers have failed to raise the revenue necessary to secure funding for social services from one year to the next.
“We’re with Daniel because we’ve seen him take on our broken system as he’s led the fight for a progressive income tax and because he has a track record of passing meaningful reforms, such as banning the unscientific and incredibly damaging “conversion therapy” for minors and allowing social workers to be reimbursed by Medicaid. We’re proud to stand with him in this race, just as he’s stood with us for years.”
“I’m proud to receive the endorsement of the Illinois chapter of the National Association of Social Workers,” said Daniel Biss. “We’ve collaborated for years to resist Bruce Rauner’s budget cuts and develop policies to support social workers and the families they serve, and I was honored to be chosen as the NASW IL legislator of the year in 2017. However, as proud as I am of the work we’ve done together, I’m also frustrated at how our agenda has been stifled by Bruce Rauner, his budget crisis, and the broken political system he represents. I’m running for governor to change what’s possible—for social workers, and for middle-class and working families all across our state—and looking forward to working with NASW IL in years to come to make our progressive vision a reality.”
In endorsing Daniel Biss, the National Association of Social Workers Illinois joins other progressive leaders and organizations including National Nurses United, Our Revolution Illinois, MoveOn, Reclaim Chicago, BlackRoots Resistance, U.S. Congresswoman Robin Kelly, former Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon, State Representatives Kelly Cassidy, Carol Ammons and Will Guzzardi, and many more. See the full list of endorsements here.
