Epilepsy Foundation affiliates across Illinois
Wednesday, July 1, 2009 is going to be a devastating day for people with epilepsy in the State of Illinois.
That's the day the state's FY2010 budget goes into effect. And right now, that budget contains NO money for specialized epilepsy care services, such as the kind currently being offered by Epilepsy Foundation affiliates across Illinois.
The Illinois General Assembly had a chance to pass a comprehensive, balanced budget as presented by Governor Pat Quinn before ending their session on May 31. And members of the Illinois Senate did just that. House members, however, voted against the Governor's budget, choosing instead to punish the most vulnerable members of society.
In response to the House's inability to pass a responsible budget, the Illinois Department of Health and Human Services was forced to implement its "doomsday" budget plan, which eliminates funding to dozens of key social services, including those designated for the provision of medical, social, and support programs for individuals with epilepsy. The state's budget is "balanced," but its social infrastructure is in peril. And people with epilepsy are going to suffer because of it.
Starting July 1, if funding is not restored to the state's budget, Epilepsy Foundation affiliates will be forced to begin implementing dramatic program cuts—cuts that will directly impact the over 129,000 people with epilepsy in Illinois.
But all may not be lost.
Governor Quinn is asking members of the General Assembly to return to Springfield next week so that he can work with House members in passing a budget which meets the state's obligations to its citizens. Last time around, only 42 of the 118 House members voted in favor of the Governor's budget. The rest voted 'no.'
We need to turn those 'no' votes into 'yes' votes—votes that say 'yes' to individuals with epilepsy and other disabilities, 'yes' to the continuation of vital social services, and 'yes' to the people of Illinois!
On behalf of the over 129,000 people with epilepsy in Illinois, please call your State Representative TODAY and ask them not to play politics with peoples' lives, and to support Governor Quinn's FY2010 budget.
You can find contact information for your State Representative by going to www.epilepsyillinois.org and typing in your zip code.
TALKING POINTS:
• Specialized individual epilepsy services in the State of Illinois are facing a complete elimination of their funding, due to the inability of the Illinois House of Representatives to approve Governor Quinn's FY2010 budget.
• If epilepsy funding is not restored to the FY2010 budget, community service providers, such as the state's three Epilepsy Foundation affiliates, will be forced to make dramatic program cuts, including those which provide medical, social, and support services to the over 129,000 people with epilepsy in Illinois.
• As a result of these budget cuts, people with epilepsy are going to suffer. For many, the impact will be devastating. (If you have a personal story about how the Epilepsy Foundation made a positive difference in your life, feel free to share it briefly.)
• Please ask your House Representative to vote "yes" on the Governor's FY2010 budget, and to please not play politics with peoples' lives.
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2 Response to Special Announcement: Epilepsy Foundation affiliates across Illinois
Hey Ryan. Thanks so much for helping spread the word about the devastating impact the State of Illinois' budget cuts are going to have on people with epilepsy.
I can see that is falls a bit outside of your blog's usual "mission statement," so I think it's extremely cool of you to help get the message out there.
(BTW, I work for the Greater Chicago affiliate--I put together the original message for our "Alert" page--and we're hoping to get as many people as possible to call their Reps, so you doing this really means a lot to a LOT of people.)
You are welcome. My girlfriend has had epilepsy since she was 6 and my grandfather also had epilepsy and I have several friends who have epilepsy. I'm doing what I can for them and to help others who suffer from the neurological condition.
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