All posts tagged Christine Radogno

Illinois Senate Leaders John Cullerton, Christine Radogno Differ on Illinois Budget Process, Revenue Projections

(Springfield, IL) — Illinois Senate Republicans and Democrats agree that cuts are a must to balance next year’s budget, but they argue over exactly how to do it.

After the Senate on Friday passed several measures to make payments to state pension funds, Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said they would have to slash about $1.2 billion from Gov. Pat Quinn’s $35.4 billion budget to balance the checkbook for the next fiscal year.

Cullerton said he wants to see lawmakers in the coming weeks suggest changes to the approximately 40 different pieces of legislation that make up Quinn’s proposed budget, a move Cullerton said would make the process more “open and transparent.”

“We’re not suggesting going behind closed doors, and having a take it or leave it plan that we dump on the desk of the members,” said Cullerton, who compared the process to budgets in recent years.

Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, welcomed the idea of more cuts, but wanted to see fewer political “games” and a more holistic framework.

(more…)

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by Jud DeLoss on April 18, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Illinois Budget
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Posted by Jud DeLoss on April 18, 2011

https://ilabh.net/2011/04/18/illinois-senate-leaders-john-cullerton-christine-radogno-differ-on-illinois-budget-process-revenue-projections/

Quinn Budget to Eliminate 2,500 People—Including 1,000 Women—from Drug, Alcohol Treatment

(Springfield, IL) – As Illinois lawmakers work to assemble a final Illinois budget, substance abuse prevention and treatment advocates today urged legislators to reverse the budget cuts proposed by Governor Pat Quinn that will slash Illinois drug and alcohol treatment for more than 2,500 Illinois residents, including 1,000 women.

“Governor Quinn’s cuts to the Illinois addiction healthcare system will eliminate care for more than 2,500 people, 1,000 of whom are women,” said Sara Moscato Howe, CEO of the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association. “Lawmakers need to reverse the cuts.”

Since 1995, the number of Illinois women in drug, alcohol has surged 41%, but Quinn this year is still cutting treatment services by 8%, which will toss more than 2,500 out of treatment, of whom nearly 1,000 are women.

Quinn’s budget cuts the Illinois Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse budget for community treatment providers and funds for addiction prevention for community prevention providers are on a top a 22% cut last year.

“Relentless budget cuts are forcing the Illinois addiction healthcare system into a death spiral and women are increasingly suffering the brunt of the budget pain,” said Howe.

In FY 2009, there 89,909 individuals receiving treatment services, down from 101,105 in FY 2008, a 11.6% decrease.

“By further strangling the drug treatment system, threats to public safety will boil over,” said Howe.

In 2009, a resurgent heroin crisis killed more than 100 people in Northern Illinois alone, a crisis that is zeroing in on local teens. Meanwhile, Quinn’s proposed budget will eliminate drug prevention for more than 1,000 youth.

“The threat to public safety is not a hypothetical threat,” said Howe. “There are young people whose lives will be sacrificed to heroin because of prevention funding cuts.”

“We urge Speaker Michael Madigan, Minority Leader Tom Cross, Senate President John Cullerton, Minority Leader Christine Radogno and Governor Quinn to adopt a budget to salvage addiction healthcare in Illinois.”

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by Jud DeLoss on May 20, 2010  •  Permalink
Posted in Governor Pat Quinn, Illinis Substance Abuse Treatment Funding, Illinois Budget
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Posted by Jud DeLoss on May 20, 2010

https://ilabh.net/2010/05/20/quinn-budget-to-eliminate-2500-people%e2%80%94including-1000-women%e2%80%94from-drug-alcohol-treatment/

Video: Women–The New Face of Substance Abuse in Illinois

Sara Moscato Howe, CEO, IADDA

(Chicago, IL) — February 9, 2010.  According to a new analysis of Illinois government data, the number of women receiving state-supported treatment for drug or alcohol addiction between 1995-2007 jumped 41%, compared to 21.7% for men.

“The face of addiction is changing across Illinois—and it is increasingly a woman’s face,” said Sara Moscato Howe, CEO of the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association, who analyzed the historical data published by the Illinois Department of Human Services-Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

(Listen Here to Podcast: Illinois Women in Drug, Alcohol Treatment Increases 41%)

In the state fiscal year 1995, 30,545 adult Illinois women received drug or alcohol treatment through local community treatment providers financed primarily by state government. In FY 2007, 52,045 received services, a 41% increase.

FY 2007 is the most recent data available.

During the same period, 65,992 adult men received services in FY 1995 and 84,326 in FY 2007, a 21.7% increase.

In FY 1995, adult women comprised 31.6% of the total adult population receiving treatment services. By FY 2007, their share of the treatment population had grown to 38.1%.

Young girls and boys in treatment are surging even more dramatically.
Female youth in treatment increased from 2,392 in FY 1995 to 5,087 in FY 2007—a 52.9% jump. Boys totaled 6,020 in 1995 and 13,188 in 2007, a 54.3% hike.

The growth in substance treatment use far outstrips the general population growth in Illinois. In 1995, Illinois had an estimated population of 11.8 million and 12.9 million in 2008, a 9.3% increase.

What troubles Moscato Howe even more is that Illinois is failing to meet the overall need for treatment services.

“The state’s own plan says they will serve 15% of the need,” said Moscato Howe, “However, using the most recent Illinois Household Survey Data from 2003, we are currently only serving about 5.25%.”

Moscato Howe noted when this year’s Illinois budget cuts are factored, that number will fall to about 4.09%, much lower than 7-9% served in previous years.

“More and more women and young girls are seeking drug and alcohol treatment and our ability to help them is diminishing with each passing year,” Moscato Howe said.

Moscata Howe noted that IADDA will be pushing Governor Pat Quinn and legislative leaders House Speaker Michael Madigan, House Minority Leader Tom Cross, Senate President John Cullerton, and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno to address funding issues this year.

IADDA VIDEO: “The Perfect Storm: Women Needing Treatment Soars, State Funding Plunges”

Shannon Simms, a nurse and mother, illustrates how substance treatment at the Haymarket Center in Chicago saved her life, saved the life of her unborn child, and gave her a second chance to reestablish her career, home and family. Moscato Howe and Anthony Cole, Vice-President at Haymarket Center outline the risks of shrunken state funding for women in treatment as their demand escalates.

Finally, Simms has a warning for lawmakers who allow money for drug and alcohol treatment to be gutted.

Watch her story and learn about the state of women and substance abuse treatment in Illinois here:

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by Jud DeLoss on February 8, 2010  •  Permalink
Posted in Illinis Substance Abuse Treatment Funding, Women & Susbstance Abuse Treatment
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Posted by Jud DeLoss on February 8, 2010

https://ilabh.net/2010/02/08/video-women-the-new-face-of-substance-abuse-in-illinois/