ASHLEY BINKOWSKI / WGLT
Central Illinois nonprofits say now is the time to invest in, not undercut, social services.
There s $200 million on the chopping block for health and human services, as Gov. JB Pritzker tries to balance the state s budget in the wake of the failed graduated income tax amendment. It’s part of a larger blueprint to cut $700 million in state spending.
Human service providers say they understand the difficult financial position the state is in, but urge caution in cutting funding for programs that help everyone especially low-income communities.
Holly Ambuehl is with Illinois Partners for Human Service. The advocacy nonprofit recently sent a letter to Pritzker expressing the concerns of the group that represents more than 800 human service providers around the state, including dozens in McLean and Peoria counties.
The proposed cuts so far are simply the trial balloon…and they have already seen significant opposition from labor and human service agencies. Those proposed cuts unfortunately do not even scratch the surface of what is needed to make up for our budget shortfall.
I just don’t see a way out of this without a tax hike, which would just drive more people out of the state.
Maybe HHS providers can get a vote on a constitutional amendment placing a lockbox on their funds, or even prohibiting their funding from ever being cut or even reformed in any way.