A measure that would disproportionately affect social services providers was defeated in the Illinois House last week. The bill, HB793, would cripple social service providers with unknown fiscal mandates—the very agencies and organizations that are needed to provide for residents with disabilities.
Leader Tony McCombie spoke against the bill during its debate, citing a service provider in Lanark, that due to the loss of federal contracts that help reimburse for salaries, has already been reduced in size. Any further fiscal weight handed down from the state level would cause even more stress on the local community.
McCombie cited that in rural areas there are few opportunities for many with disabilities, and should this bill move forward, nearly 84 individuals with disabilities would no longer be able to work or be able to have day-to-day opportunities at the local social service organization in her district.
McCombie asked her colleagues to think about the impacts of this legislation and the unintended effects it would have on communities across the state. The strong points brought up in debate by McCombie and her fellow House Republican colleagues caused the measure to ultimately fail and the sponsor pulled it from the record.
Republican lawmakers are ready to get to work on a better bill that would not negatively impact social service agencies or residents within them.