Kane County Reporter

State Senator Don DeWitte has joined his Senate Republican colleagues in calling on Governor Pritzker to reverse proposed cuts to service hours for Illinois adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD) living in group homes. The Department of Human Services, under the administration of Governor Pritzker, has suggested reducing service hours by 2.5 million in the next fiscal year's budget.

Senator DeWitte expressed his concerns about the impact of these cuts on vulnerable citizens, stating, "These alarming cuts would affect about 10,000 of our most vulnerable citizens who rely on their state government for assistance. It’s appalling." The proposed cuts would result in an approximate $87.7 million reduction in state funding for this population.

In a letter addressed to Governor Pritzker on January 17, Republican Senators highlighted the significant decrease in service hours for individuals with I/DD living in group homes. They also pointed out the increase in funding for noncitizens, stating, "It’s very difficult to ignore that you’ve increased funding for noncitizens by over a billion dollars across the board, seemingly while your Administration is pushing this rate cut for the developmentally disabled. It’s obvious your priorities are not with the citizens of this state who are the most underserved."

The bipartisan effort to secure a $2.50 per hour wage increase for Direct Support Professionals in the FY2024 budget is now at risk due to the proposed decrease in service hour funding. Senator DeWitte stated, "My office has been inundated with calls and emails from family members who fear for their loved ones’ ability to access service hours they need. Every lawmaker in Springfield should be outraged over this. We all need to work together and ensure these cuts do not happen."

The letter from the Senate Republicans can be accessed here.

It remains to be seen whether Governor Pritzker will reconsider the proposed cuts and address the concerns raised by Senator DeWitte and his colleagues. The impact of these cuts on vulnerable citizens is significant, highlighting the need for a thorough evaluation of priorities in state budget allocations.