Action Alerts
May 29, 2007
CALL TODAY!!! ...Fund Families First!
If you can do only one thing to help people with autism and their families, do this TODAY: CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, STATE SENATOR and GOVERNOR. Tell them to provide funding for new home and community services — tell them to insist that this budget provide for our loved ones directly, as listed in HB2041. Click here to find their Springfield phone numbers.
$52 Million for 3,126 New Families
This is it. There is a lot of movement toward passing a budget before Thursday's deadline. If we want to get new services for more than 3000 families, this is our last chance. We need to inundate our legislators with phone calls and faxes. Here's what you say (probably to the assistant, but try to get them directly):
"My name is _____ and I live in Senator/Representative ______'s district. Please tell him/her we need new services for our loved ones with autism and other disabilities. Please support House Bill 2041 (now included in HB4103) to provide $52 million to support 3,126 people on the waiting list for home and community services. This appropriation will fund the new children's waiver, provide for new people to live in CILA's, and fund more families through the Home Based Supports program."
They may have already signed on as a supporter of HB2041 — now we need to thank them and ask them to put us at the top of the wishlist with their leadership. Be polite and insist that they DO NOT VOTE FOR ANY BUDGET THAT DOES NOT FUND OUR FAMILIES FIRST! Get your legislators' Springfield phone numbers. The Governor's phone number is 217-782- 6830.
Illinois remains one of the very lowest-ranked states in the country at funding the kinds of supports our families need (47th or 48th — ahead of only Mississippi and Arkansas in most of these categories). Please call today and help change that.
Thank you to all who supported Autism and Developmental Disabilities Lobby Day by making phone calls and attending the rally in Springfield last week. The press conference was standing room only with stories from families who have had to leave Illinois and move to other states to receive much needed services and those who continually struggle in Illinois as they wait amongst the 14,000 plus families on the waiting list for basic services and supports. Some of our families met Governor Blagojevich in the elevator and asked for his support, while many others knocked on legislator's doors and pulled them out of committee to share their stories and why Funding Families First in Illinois is so critical.
NOW WE NEED YOU TO HELP GET OUR PRIORITIES INTO THE BUDGET. The budget may be decided this week-please call the Governor 217-782- 6830, your state senator and your state representative on TUESDAY, May 29, and WEDNESDAY, May 30. Ask them to support direct funding for persons with autism and their families, as listed in HB2041, which calls for $52 million to serve 3126 new persons in their homes and in our communities. Please ask them not to vote for any budget that does not include our loved ones. We have already had tremendous success this session, but the real success will depend on funding for our families.
LOOK UP YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS
Call your state rep and state senator. Our success depends on you!
WE NEED EVERYONE WHO LOVES A PERSON WITH AUTISM TO DO THEIR PART IF WE ARE EVER GOING TO IMPROVE THE WAY ILLINOIS TREATS OUR FAMILIES. Please call your state reps and state senators TODAY.
Sincerely,
Christopher M. Kennedy
Legislative Director, Autism Society of Illinois
Autism Society of Illinois
2200 S. Main Street, Suite 205
Lombard, IL 60148-5366
630-691-1270 Phone
888-691-1270 Toll-Free
630-932-5620 Fax
www.autismillinois.org
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