Gov. Rauner Restores $26 Million to Social Service Programs in FY2015 Budget as FY2016 Budget Threatens Others

Deborah Bayliss | As of Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Ill. Gov. Bruce Rauner this month announced that $26 million in social service grants previously cut from the state’s fiscal year 2015 budget to plug a $1.6 billion hole, will be restored with unexpected revenue from income tax that allows for restoration of grants for programs , cut earlier this month, including autism treatment, indigent burials and immigrant and refugee aid.

The Chicago Citizen Newspaper contacted the governor’s office and was told Rauner had no formal comment on the matter.

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Ill. Sen. Kimberly Lightford (Dist.-4).

Recently, the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus (ILBC) held a press conference urging Gov. Rauner to rethink his move to cut $26 million dollars in state grants for social service programs. The group released statements on the matter saying a collective effort led to funding restoration.

“We expressed our opposition to cuts that would have a severe impact on the advancement of communities of color,” said Ill. Senate, Assistant Majority Leader, Kimberly A. Lightford, who also serves as Chairman of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus. “Dismantling programs whose main purpose is to reduce the financial burden on taxpayers and ensure mental health patients receive adequate care would have been a disservice to taxpayers.”

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Ill. Sen. Emile Jones, III.

Ill. State Senator Emil Jones, said, “For our Governor to listen to the voices of Illinoisans give me hope that we can find reasonable solutions to complex issues facing our state. ”

According to the ILBC, the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability said its projections show income tax receipts coming in from $300 million to $500 million better than previously projected, was used to help restore funding for the programs cut by Gov. Rauner, The state’s not out of the woods yet however. In addition to the $1.6 billion budget deficit, Illinois faces a $6 billion Fiscal Year 2016 deficit.

Ann Pinkney, spokesperson for Metropolitan Family Services-- one of the city’s first and strongest human services agencies, that provides mental health services with a focus on the city’s South Side and the south/southwest suburbs--told the Chicago Citizen Newspaper on Friday, for Metropolitan Family Services, its the proposed cuts in the state’s fiscal year 2016 budget that threatens their programs.

“Restoration of the $26 million under the Fiscal Year 2015 budget is some success (for other programs) the FY15 budget did not impact Metropolitan's mental health services -- it ultimately cut services for illnesses such as autism (which we don't provide) and other areas we reach such as Teen Reach (a key after school program funding source). Initially all mental health was up for grabs, hence us and other agencies sounding the general alarm for mental health funding, not knowing exactly where the Governor's cuts would fall. Our mental health services, our biggest service area, still face an uphill battle and could be impacted by the fiscal year 2016 budget.”

Among the cuts proposed under the Department of Human Services budget, is elimination of grants for psychiatric care that are essential to the viability Metropolitan Family Services’ entire 9,984-client mental health practice. The grants cover the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the substantially higher cost of service.

The massive budget cuts planned by Gov. Rauner would devastate vital services throughout Illinois and Chicago, including scarce mental health services on the city’s South Side.

Metropolitan Family Services, would be impacted in the following ways:

• Eliminating psychiatric medications and medical care.

• Losing school-based mental health services.

• Undermining criminal justice reform by cuts to critical programs.

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