Letter writing campaigns and lobbying efforts by constituents and human services agencies persuaded lawmakers meeting last Sunday night,June 2, to restore almost $75 million in disability program funding originally targeted for elimination in the proposed state budget.
The Anixter Center, with offices in Lincoln Park, heads the Metropolitan Chicago Human Services coalition comprised of 250 agencies working with disability groups throughout Illinois. This in turn provided an opportunity to catch the attention of House and Senate members throughout the state.
"We started this the day after Governor Ryan made his budget address in February," Anixter CEO Stuart Ferst told Inside. "The budget cuts initially put forth by the governor were so draconian that thousands of people would have been thrown out of services, and I think that's something the legislature could not abide. I am most proud of them because they stopped that from happening."
Thousands of letters written by Anixter Center's clients, parents, staff and concerned constituents were sent to Illinois representatives explaining the ramifications of slashing $74.6 million of funding for disabled services.
Facing the proposed cuts from the Department of Human Services (which appropriates funds to contracted agencies like Anixter Center), Ferst urged those contacting state legislators to ask them to preserve the Adult Community Transition program, an independent-living service for young disabled adults; not to cut a proposed 2.5 percent of funding from services for the developmentally disabled nor 5.5 percent from mental health services; and to "grandfather in" current day training program recipients.
"This was our number one point, no matter what happens with anything else. People who needed the service, who were promised it by the state for years, needed to keep that," said Ferst, who added that loss of funding would have been "devastating" for thousands of Illinois residents.
Lobbyists also worked with the emergency budget coalition that successfully argued for higher cigarette and casino taxes to help make up for revenue shortfalls in the $53 billion state budget.
Ferst said that while he was pleased with legislators, he would keep fingers crossed over the upcoming weeks as Governor Ryan reviews the approved budget, deciding whether to sign it as is or to utilize the gubernatorial line-item veto power. For instance, a canceled two percent cost-of-living increase for disabled recipients was restored by lawmakers, but there is concern the governor could eliminate it once again.
A final decision on the entire matter is expected by the end of this month. Until then, Anixter Center's state association will be working with the governor's staff, encouraging preservation of all funds the legislature allocated to the disabled last week, while determining which budget items could be cut in order to save others. Ferst said he could not specify what items he would consider negotiating at this time.
"That's where we are right now," Ferst said. "I'm hopeful that the money will be protected because both the Senate and the House have been very, very cooperative about restoring the money. That's a good sign."
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