As the state budget impasse enters its seventh month, the likely impact on human service agencies, including Jewish Federation-affiliated agencies, becomes more pressing.

Up until now, the continuing crisis has had a moderate impact on Jewish Child & Family Services, CJE SeniorLife and Sinai Health System; most of their funding is covered by federal consent decrees and court orders, which the State is required to pay. In contrast, similar institutions – such as Lutheran Social Services of Illinois, which the state owes $6 million – are terminating staff and eliminating programs.

Therefore, the Governor’s Office’s recently announced plan to challenge federal consent decrees and court orders has heightened concern. Such a move would likely reduce human-service funding and impact services for abused and neglected children, people with physical, developmental and intellectual disabilities and Medicaid rates for pediatricians serving low-income children.

Additionally, the failure to square up spending with revenues over these many months puts tremendous pressure on the governor and the General Assembly to make even deeper spending reductions in human services, health care and higher education than projected last July. The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget reports that the State is spending at a rate of $36.5 billion but only bringing in revenues at around $31.9 billion.

“We are very apprehensive about the failure of our state leadership to resolve the state budget impasse,” said David Golder, chair of the Jewish Federation’s Government Affairs Committee. “State and Federal funds, supplementing our community’s extraordinary philanthropy, provide our agencies with the critical resources required to do an amazing job in helping more than 300,000 people in need of help due to age, poverty or disabilities. This partnership between our agencies and our state government is in jeopardy.”

The Federation’s Government Affairs department continues to advocate in Springfield in support of the many important programs provided by the agencies that help individuals and families.