Illinois Lawmakers Reach Budget Resolution

On July 16, more than two weeks after the beginning of the new state fiscal year, the Illinois General Assembly sent Governor Pat Quinn a state budget plan that largely avoids massive social service funding cuts.  Governor Quinn almost immediately signed the bills into law.

According to lawmakers, the budget agreement will fund health and human services at amounts that are 80-90% of last year’s budget. Lawmakers resorted to additional state borrowing to close much of the state’s multi-billion dollar budget gap.  The compromise will also require Governor Quinn to identify $2 billion in additional funding cuts to balance the budget. 

"This budget plan averts deep health and social service cuts in Illinois that would have been disastrous for people affected by HIV/AIDS," said Mark Ishaug, President/CEO of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC). "We congratulate Governor Quinn and legislative leaders on reaching a final budget agreement.  We remain concerned about the estimated $2 billion in funding cuts the governor must now identify.  By rejecting revenue enhancements, including new taxes, lawmakers will be confronted with an even deeper deficit as early as 2010.”

The budget passed on July 16 relies on a plan to borrow billions of dollars to fund employee pension contributions.  The money must be paid back beginning next fiscal year.  The state will also close this year’s deficit by further delaying payments to vendors, including HIV/AIDS and social service providers.  Payments are now delayed by at least five months. 

“We will focus our energies for the remainder of this year on making the case for a long-term, responsible solution to the state’s ongoing budget catastrophe,” said John Peller, AFC's Director of Government.  “The state’s economy and tax revenues are unlikely to improve enough on their own to close the budget deficit.  A revenue increase in the form of new taxes is likely the only way to prevent deep service reductions in fiscal 2011.”

“We thank the thousands of AIDS advocates who faxed, called and visited their legislators about the state budget,” said AFC Policy Associate Pete Subkoviak.  “State leaders heard loud and clear that services for people with HIV and other special needs are too essential to forgo.”

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), which funds most HIV/AIDS prevention, care and housing services, has significant discretion to determine which program areas to fund.  In contrast with past years, lawmakers did not specify how much IDPH must spend on HIV services.

“We call on Governor Quinn and the IDPH leadership to sustain funding, at the highest level possible, for IDPH’s HIV-related budgetary categories,” said Peller.  “If possible, HIV programs should be protected from funding reductions.  If absolutely necessary, funding cuts for HIV should not exceed the proportion of cuts established for other IDPH categories.”  AFC also called on IDPH to make funding decisions quickly, based on the results of the request for proposal process used this year for the first time.”


For more information and updates on the budget, visit AFC’s website at www.aidschicago.org.