Proposed budget cuts to Illinois human service providers took center stage in a heated committee debate Monday. IPR's Tony Arnold reports.
BASSI: Reducing mental health care coordination by 18 million. We’re discontinuing the psychiatriatric leadership capacity grant….
That’s just the beginning of a list of budget cuts proposed by Governor Bruce Rauner to mental health services in Illinois.Greg Bassi is the governor’s pick to lead the Department of Human Services. He told a small panel of state senators that the cuts are necessary for Illinois to live within its means - much to the chagrin of Democratic state senators like Donne Trotter. Trotter said - if that’s all the governor’s cutting….
TROTTER: Then what are you keeping?
BASSI: Our core services will remain in place.
Democrats say IF Rauner’s cuts to mental health go through - the state will pay more in emergency room visits and corrections.
Republican State Senator Matt Murphy said those in attendance at the hearing - like those with disabilities and moms of developmentally disabled youth - are being used as political pawns by Democrats, whom he blamed for the state’s budget problems.