State Rep. Candidate Tony DelGiorno “Walks a Day” in Springfield home care worker Linda Grant’s shoes
Springfield – Rubbing feet sore from diabetes and her cancer medication, Ida Bowers said she voted for Bruce Rauner in 2014.
“I thought he would make a difference. Unfortunately,” she said Wednesday, “he did.”
Bowers, a native of near Cairo in her late 50s living in a Springfield apartment complex now, is facing the loss of the home healthcare worker who helps her bathe, cleans her apartment, gets her groceries and helps with her rescue spaniel Prissy.
“I’m not a beggar. I’m not lazy. I’ve worked all my life. … But I’m sick now and someone has to have my back,” she said.
That someone certainly isn’t Rauner, who sent the care system for people like Ida into turmoil by illegally implementing the policy capping overtime hours. And it certainly isn’t Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez, who as Diana Rauner’s chief of staff was paid $100,000 and who since hasn’t lifted a finger to help Ida or her caregiver Linda Grant, both of whom are struggling just to get by.
Both Linda and Ida spent Wednesday morning telling their story to Tony DelGiorno, an eldercare lawyer who is running to unseat Jimenez in the 99th House District.
“You’ve got my vote,” Ida told DelGiorno, clasping his hands and sending him off with a prayer to “look out for those who need it.”
Linda said capping overtime means Ida has to find another caretaker on her own to cover the extra hours and not working those hours takes money out of her pocket.
DelGiorno’s own mother received home healthcare and he listened intently as Ida told her tale.
“I know that these services are for those who most need it. The governor has not stood up for our people and Rep. Jimenez has enabled his behavior,” DelGiorno said, leaving the small apartment. “Forcing people into institutions is no way to balance a budget. And hurting people like Ida and Linda is no way to run a state.”
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With child care costs spiraling out of control, Curtis calls on State Rep. Norine Hammond to stand with working families and override SB 730 veto
Macomb – On Friday, Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed Senate Bill 730, which would have made child care affordable for tens of thousands of additional families and created thousands of jobs.
SB 730, which passed with large majorities in the General Assembly, would have started to repair the Child Care Assistance Program after Bruce Rauner unilaterally cut thousands of working parents out of the program and eliminated child care entirely for parents who are in school or training. Recent figures from the state show that the parents of over 55,000 children lost child care as a result of these draconian cuts.
SB 730 would have immediately restored child care to parents who are in school or experiencing homelessness while boosting the local economy through a gradual expansion of affordable child care to tens of thousands of additional families.
Child care costs in Illinois consume a huge share of family income: a year of infant care in Illinois costs more than a year of in-state tuition or a year of rent. The child care expansion legislation would have put an estimated $150 million back into the hands of working families who are currently paying out of pocket or have left the workforce in order to cover the cost of private care.
Yet State Representative Norine Hammond sided with Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership and disordered priorities by voting no on SB 730. Democratic challenger John Curtis today called on the Rauner-backed incumbent to stand with working families and override the veto in the fall.
“The Child Care Assistance Program, like so many other decimated social services in Bruce Rauner’s Illinois, primarily serves and employs women. Child care cuts disproportionately force women out of school, out of work, and off the path to greater earnings and advancement. Bruce Rauner’s veto of child care expansion and Norine Hammond’s vote against it are a direct attack on women and their families. Norine Hammond should stand with working families and vote to override this wrongheaded veto,” said Curtis.
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Merry Marwig calls on state Rep. Michael McAuliffe to stand with working families by voting to override Senate Bill 730 veto
CHICAGO—On Friday, Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed Senate Bill 730, which would have made child care affordable for tens of thousands of additional families and created thousands of jobs. State representative candidate Merry Marwig today called on state Rep. Michael McAuliffe, who opposed the legislation, to stand with working families and vote to override the veto of this bill.
“Michael McAuliffe’s vote against protecting child care services is yet another example of the many promises that he has broken over his 20 years as a career politician,” Marwig said. “He publicly signed a pledge card just last year committing to protect access to affordable child care services, and then voted against legislation that would have done exactly that. McAuliffe has shown that he simply can’t be trusted to do what he says he will do, and he can’t be trusted to stand up for working families. I am asking him to publicly commit to override this wrongheaded veto.”
Senate Bill 730, which passed with large majorities in the General Assembly, would have started to repair the Child Care Assistance Program after Rauner unilaterally cut thousands of working parents out of the program last year and eliminated child care entirely for parents who are in school or training. Recent figures from the state show that the parents of over 55,000 children lost child care as a result of these draconian cuts.
Senate Bill 730 would have immediately restored child care to parents who are in school or experiencing homelessness and would have helped boost the local economy through a gradual expansion of affordable child care to tens of thousands of additional families.
Child care costs in Illinois consume a huge share of family income: a year of infant care in Illinois costs more than a year of in-state tuition or a year of rent. The child care expansion legislation would have put an estimated $150 million back into the hands of working families who are currently paying out of pocket or have left the workforce in order to cover the cost of private care.
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With child care costs spiraling out of control, Borbas calls on State Representatives Christine Winger to stand with working families and override SB 730 veto
Chicago – On Friday, Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed Senate Bill 730, which would have made child care affordable for tens of thousands of additional families and created thousands of jobs.
SB 730, which passed with large majorities in the General Assembly, would have started to repair the Child Care Assistance Program after Bruce Rauner unilaterally cut thousands of working parents out of the program and eliminated child care entirely for parents who are in school or training. Recent figures from the state show that the parents of over 55,000 children lost child care as a result of these draconian cuts.
SB 730 would have immediately restored child care to parents who are in school or experiencing homelessness while boosting the local economy through a gradual expansion of affordable child care to tens of thousands of additional families.
Child care costs in Illinois consume a huge share of family income: a year of infant care in Illinois costs more than a year of in-state tuition or a year of rent. The child care expansion legislation would have put an estimated $150 million back into the hands of working families who are currently paying out of pocket or have left the workforce in order to cover the cost of private care.
Yet State Rep. Christine Winger sided with Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership and disordered priorities, voting no on SB730. State Rep. candidate Cynthia Borbas today called on the Rauner-backed incumbent to stand with working families and override the veto in the fall.
“The Republicans’ War on Women continues with this latest veto. From the hateful rhetoric of Donald Trump to the job-killing vetoes of Bruce Rauner, the GOP is devaluing and demeaning women’s work. Unfortunately, Representative Winger is showing herself to be cut from the same cloth. Instead of siding with Bloomingdale area families to create jobs and boost our local economy, Representative Winger voted for a policy that disproportionately forces women out of school, out of work, and off the path to greater earnings and advancement. It’s a shame that we have a State Representative who’s so beholden to Rauner’s millions that she can’t even vote for commonsense job-creating legislation like Senate Bill 730,” said Borbas.
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With child care costs spiraling out of control, Katie Stuart and Mike Mathis call on State Representatives Dwight Kay and Avery Bourne to stand with working families and override SB 730 veto
Edwardsville – On Friday, Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed Senate Bill 730, which would have made child care affordable for tens of thousands of additional families and created thousands of jobs.
SB 730, which passed with large majorities in the General Assembly, would have started to repair the Child Care Assistance Program after Bruce Rauner unilaterally cut thousands of working parents out of the program and eliminated child care entirely for parents who are in school or training. Recent figures from the state show that the parents of over 55,000 children lost child care as a result of these draconian cuts.
SB 730 would have immediately restored child care to parents who are in school or experiencing homelessness while boosting the local economy through a gradual expansion of affordable child care to tens of thousands of additional families.
Child care costs in Illinois consume a huge share of family income: a year of infant care in Illinois costs more than a year of in-state tuition or a year of rent. The child care expansion legislation would have put an estimated $150 million back into the hands of working families who are currently paying out of pocket or have left the workforce in order to cover the cost of private care.
Yet State Representatives Dwight Kay and Avery Bourne sided with Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership and disordered priorities by voting no on SB 730. Democratic challengers Katie Stuart and Mike Mathis today called on the Rauner-backed incumbents to stand with working families and override the veto in the fall.
“The Child Care Assistance Program, like so many other decimated social services in Bruce Rauner’s Illinois, primarily serves and employs women. Child Care cuts disproportionately force women out of school, out of work, and off the path to greater earnings and advancement. Bruce Rauner’s veto of Child Care expansion and Representative Dwight Kay’s vote against it are a direct attack on women’s work and well being. Representative Kay should publicly commit to stand with working families and vote to override this wrongheaded veto,” said Stuart.
“Too many working families are struggling to make ends meet, facing the costs of housing, child care and transportation. Senate Bill 730 would have made child care affordable to help tens of thousands of additional families who want to work and improve their circumstances. Rep. Avery Bourne turned her back on area families, job creation and our local economy when she voted against child care assistance for families working their way out of poverty. She has a chance to make this right by voting to override the governor’s veto,” said Mathis.
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With child care costs spiraling out of control, Tony DelGiorno and Mike Mathis call on State Representatives Sara Wojcicki Jimenez and Avery Bourne to stand with working families and override SB 730 veto
Springfield – On Friday, Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed Senate Bill 730, which would have made child care affordable for tens of thousands of additional families and created thousands of jobs.
SB 730, which passed with large majorities in the General Assembly, would have started to repair the Child Care Assistance Program after Bruce Rauner unilaterally cut thousands of working parents out of the program and eliminated child care entirely for parents who are in school or training. Recent figures from the state show that the parents of over 55,000 children lost child care as a result of these draconian cuts.
SB 730 would have immediately restored child care to parents who are in school or experiencing homelessness while boosting the local economy through a gradual expansion of affordable child care to tens of thousands of additional families.
Child care costs in Illinois consume a huge share of family income: a year of infant care in Illinois costs more than a year of in-state tuition or a year of rent. The child care expansion legislation would have put an estimated $150 million back into the hands of working families who are currently paying out of pocket or have left the workforce in order to cover the cost of private care.
Yet State Representatives Sara Wojcicki Jimenez and Avery Bourne sided with Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership and disordered priorities by voting no on SB 730. Democratic challengers Tony DelGiorno and Mike Mathis today called on the Rauner-backed incumbents to stand with working families and override the veto in the fall.
“It’s a shame that we have a State Representative who’s so beholden to Rauner’s millions that she can’t even vote for commonsense job-creating legislation like Senate Bill 730. It’s time for Sara Jimenez to prove she’s not just bought by Bruce, and vote to override this veto in the fall,” said DelGiorno.
“Too many working families are struggling to make ends meet, facing the costs of housing, child care and transportation. Senate Bill 730 would have made child care affordable to help tens of thousands of additional families who want to work and improve their circumstances. Rep. Avery Bourne turned her back on area families, job creation and our local economy when she voted against child care assistance for families working their way out of poverty. She has a chance to make this right by voting to override the governor’s veto,” said Mathis.
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With child care costs spiraling out of control, Marsha Griffin calls on State Rep. Terri Bryant to stand with working families and override SB 730 veto
Carbondale – On Friday, Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed Senate Bill 730, which would have made child care affordable for tens of thousands of additional families and created thousands of jobs.
SB 730, which passed with large majorities in the General Assembly, would have started to repair the Child Care Assistance Program after Bruce Rauner unilaterally cut thousands of working parents out of the program and eliminated child care entirely for parents who are in school or training. Recent figures from the state show that the parents of over 55,000 children lost child care as a result of these draconian cuts.
SB 730 would have immediately restored child care to parents who are in school or experiencing homelessness while boosting the local economy through a gradual expansion of affordable child care to tens of thousands of additional families.
Child care costs in Illinois consume a huge share of family income: a year of infant care in Illinois costs more than a year of in-state tuition or a year of rent. The child care expansion legislation would have put an estimated $150 million back into the hands of working families who are currently paying out of pocket or have left the workforce in order to cover the cost of private care.
Yet State Representative Terri Bryant sided with Bruce Rauner’s failed leadership and disordered priorities by voting no on SB 730. Democratic challenger Marsha Griffin today called on the Rauner-backed incumbent to stand with working families and override the veto in the fall.
“Too many Southern Illinoisan working families are struggling to make ends meet, from housing to child care to higher education. Senate Bill 730 would have made child care affordable for tens of thousands of additional families. But instead of siding with families in Southern Illinois to create jobs and boost our local economy, Terri Bryant sided with our billionaire, union-busting governor. She has a chance to make this right by voting to override the veto in the fall, said Griffin.
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In Veto of Senate Bill 730, Rauner Creates Dimmer Future for Children of Illinois
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, August 26, 2016
CHICAGO-Following is the statement of SEIU Healthcare Illinois Vice President Brynn Seibert in response to the breaking news that Bruce Rauner has vetoed Senate Bill 730:
“Bruce Rauner has done so much to endanger quality child care in Illinois and today is no different. Our hope was that he would take a chance to fix what he has broken. But his veto today of Senate Bill 730 shows that he is determined to create a dimmer and dimmer future for the children of Illinois and kill jobs in the process.”
“When Rauner unilaterally enacted his cuts to child care last summer, several experts, including his top administrator for the program, predicted the results would be “devastating.” And they were right. The program to help working families enter the workforce with quality child care had 55,000 fewer children participating than a year before, according to recent figures.
“Senate Bill 730 was an attempt to fix what Rauner broke and would have added an estimated 52,000 children to the program at a time when parents increasingly can’t afford child care and caregivers are being paid poverty wages. The vetoed legislation also would have provided a path out of homelessness or the child welfare system for many children.
“In recent days, we’ve seen Bruce Rauner pour his millions into the campaign coffers of candidates who vow to stand up for his special interest agenda that does nothing to fix our ongoing budget crisis, much less find solutions for the child care crisis facing Illinois. If only he found time to consider the future of Illinois children, instead of focusing on the future of a political agenda that has done us such harm.”
Related: State Rep. Candidates React to Rauner’s Job-Killing Veto of Child Care Expansion
CHICAGO-Following is the statement of SEIU Healthcare Illinois Executive Vice President Greg Kelley in response to U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk’s recent comparison of President Barack Obama to a “drug dealer:”
“Here we go again. We may not know what resides in Mark Kirk’s heart but we certainly know what comes out of his mouth. What he said this weekend about President Obama was totally inappropriate and he must apologize. It’s another example of Kirk’s long history of insulting the president which is now matching up with the hateful and “birther” space carved out in the public sphere by fellow Republican Donald Trump to dehumanize Barack Obama.
“There is NO amount of context Kirk could provide to his dog-whistle statement that would change the propriety of these remarks. And when you add Kirk’s long history of gaffes, missteps and innuendo, especially when it involves people of color, I think the people of Illinois themselves have the context to conclude Kirk has a serious problem: Either he doesn’t know what he’s doing, which is alarming; or he DOES know what he’s doing, which is despicable. He must apologize.”
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Candidates Pledge to Fight AGAINST the Reckless Rauner Agenda and FOR Children, Seniors, People With Disabilities and Their Caregivers
Illinois – SEIU Healthcare Illinois announces endorsements for the following candidates in Illinois:
Northern Illinois:
Metro Chicago:
Central Illinois:
Southern Illinois:
These candidates earned SEIU Healthcare Illinois’ endorsement by vowing to stand up for seniors, children and people with disabilities—and their caregivers—against the reckless agenda of Bruce Rauner, who has slashed social services and left the Illinois safety net in tatters.
Endorsed candidates agree with Illinoisans that the budget cannot be balanced on the backs of the vulnerable; that child care is a valuable tool for working families to enter the middle class; and that seniors and people with disabilities need stability in their care, not a series of cuts and a mountain of confusion.
Following is the statement of SEIU Healthcare Illinois Vice President Brynn Seibert in announcing the endorsement:
“We are excited to endorse these champions, because we know they will stand up for the values of Illinois families and fight to ensure the best outcomes for children, seniors and people with disabilities. Our caregivers are committed to building the best system of care possible for Illinois, but the attacks of Bruce Rauner have made this increasingly difficult.
“Whether it’s withholding Medicaid payments to nursing facilities, threatening workers with terminations for the crime of caring for people with disabilities in the awful overtime debacle or permanently damaging the once-model Child Care Assistance Program and kicking tens of thousands of children off car, the people of Illinois deserve someone who will fight for their values and the people who need it most instead of sitting willingly in the pocket of Wall Street special interests and the super-wealthy.
“November is a chance to get Illinois back on track. That’s why SEIU Healthcare Illinois and our members are proud to stand beside these champions to turn around the governor’s backward agenda and move our state forward.”