Action Alert # 9 -- URGENT--H.B. 3738 Out of Committee, Headed to Full Senate (State)


History:

This is a brief--but extremely important--alert. H.B. 3738 was unanimously ushered out of the Senate Appropriations Committee and onto the Senate floor. The vote was 13-0.

Many members of the disability community made a strong showing, which was not lost on the committee members. As many of you know already, this bill calls for a 2% COLA for developmental disability and mental illness providers, a $1 per hour raise for personal assistants under the Home Services Program, additional funding for Supported Employment, funding for additional CILA placements, and a few other, very important provisions. As wonderful a victory as this is, we cannot afford to rest now. This bill must be brought to the senate floor, passed, and sent to the Governor's desk.

There was much discussion on how revenue would be generated to fund the budget as a whole. Suffice it to say, the senators vigorously debated the issue. Though it is not necessarily in our best interest to tell them how to create revenue, it is quite clear that the funding is available, if certain priorities are shifted.

Actions Needed:

We need to make our voices heard throughout the Senate and in the Governor's Office. Contact Senator Emil Jones, President of the Senate, and strongly urge him to call the bill to the senate floor for a vote. This will happen by tonight or tomorrow at the latest.

We also need to contact our local senators as well. Explain to them how important this bill is and how many people with and without disabilities will benefit by it. Time is of the essence. We need to make sure they know we are aware of what is happening with our lives.

Finally, contact the Governor and tell him this bill needs to be part of the final budget. These community-based services have not received the attention or funding they have deserved for many years. If Illinois government is really going to stop "doing business as usual," it needs to start by funding the programs that need it the most.

If we keep working together, speaking with one voice, as we did today, we can accomplish many seemingly impossible things. The contact information is below this text. Use it, because the fight is not over yet.

To find out who represents you in the Senate, you can use the Illinois State Board of Elections web site www.elections.state.il.us. Click on "Find Districts/Officials." You may also contact your local public library for assistance.

Contact information for the Governor's Office:

Governor Rod R. Blagojevich
Office of the Governor
207 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
Telephone: 217-782-0244
Email: governor@state.il.us

Contact Information for Senate Emil Jones, Jr., President of the Senate:

327 State House Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217-782-2728
Fax: 217-782-3242


Contact Information for Senate Frank Watson, Senate Minority Leader:

309-A State House
Springfield, IL 62706
Phone: 217-782-5755
Fax: 217/782-7818
Email: watson@gvc.net


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