U.S. judge orders Illinois to boost disabled care
Source: Reuters
#POLITICS AUGUST 11, 2017 / 6:18 PM / 15 HOURS AGO
U.S. judge orders Illinois to boost disabled care
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Friday ruled that Illinois was not providing sufficient resources for the care of developmentally disabled residents and ordered the state to come up with a plan to restore services.
U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman said Illinois, which just ended an unprecedented budget impasse, failed to provide "resources of sufficient quality, scope, and variety" to the residents, who as a result "suffered substantially" from a reduction in services in violation of a federal consent decree.
In the ruling, Johnson said she lacked the authority to order a funding increase, noted the state's "dire financial condition," and directed Illinois to devise a plan to address issues affecting the services and comply with the decree.
The state had argued that advocates for the disabled living outside of institutions were seeking as much as an additional $1 billion annually - an amount Illinois could not afford.
-snip-
Read more:
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-illinois-budget-idUSKBN1AR2G7