MOLINE, Ill. – State Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, stood with local service providers and educators Thursday to highlight where Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed stop-gap budget proposal falls short, namely through massive cuts to services for the frail elderly, disabled children and cancer screenings for women.
“I’m outraged the state has gone almost a full year without a state budget. For nearly a year, the governor has held the state hostage – refusing to sign or even negotiate a state budget unless he gets his way on a sweeping special interest agenda entirely unrelated to the budget,” Smiddy said. “Now the governor has introduced a proposal he says will fund important programs, but he kicks to the curb our most vulnerable residents by slashing critical programs and services, such as breast cancer screenings and care for veterans, so he can spend tax dollars on office supplies.”
Lawmakers from both parties continue to meet in bi-partisan working groups to reach a compromise on the state budget and the governor’s agenda and avoid a government shutdown. But the proposal offered by the governor hurts too many Illinois residents, Smiddy said.
The Port Byron lawmaker pointed out that within the governor’s proposal is nearly $5 billion for operational expenses within the state bureaucracy, yet zero funding for breast cancer screenings for women, services for children with developmental disabilities, autism and epilepsy, mental health programs, domestic violence shelters, job training, veterans, including veterans’ homes, and programs for senior citizens, such as in-home care to keep seniors in their own homes.
In the waning hours of the General Assembly’s regular session, Gov. Bruce Rauner proposed a 1,000-plus page stop-gap funding proposal to the Legislature. Within minutes of making the plan public, the governor cried foul when the measure was not immediately called for a vote.
Local educators are fearing what might happen to area schools and students if the governor’s stop-gap budget were to be put in place.
“The governor’s proposal, if enacted, would seriously reduce our ability to serve persons with disabilities in our region,” said Liz Sherwin, Executive Director of the Illinois/Iowa Center for Independent Living. “Passing a budget is important, but it needs to be done in the right way, so that more harm is not done to our communities.
Smiddy was joined by advocates from Augustana College, Black Hawk College, the ARC of the Quad Cities, Alternatives for the Older Adult, and the Illinois-Iowa Center for Independent Living.
Those in attendance also urged the governor to sign the emergency human services budget, which would keep the doors open at various human service agencies in the region. The bill passed without opposition from Republicans and Democrats and has been awaiting Rauner’s signature for nearly a month.
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