(Springfield, IL) — Governor Pat Quinn should not sign the Illinois Doomsday budget approved by the Illinois General Assembly on May 31, Illinois’ leading mental health advocates today urged.
“Increasing teen suicides, abandoning recovering mothers onto the street, and jailing the mentally ill are the

Frank Anselmo, CEO, CBHA
outcomes that the legislature’s budget offers,” said Frank Anselmo, CEO of the Community Behavioral Healthcare Association of Illinois. Governor Quinn needs to clearly state he won’t sign the ‘Doomsday budget'”.
The legislature appropriated only 50% of last year’s budget to several state department for the coming fiscal year that begins on July 1.
As a result, the new budget guts human services, including mental health care and substance abuse treatment.
- 175,000 people will lose community mental health services, dramatically increasing homelessness, institutionalization and incarceration rates.
- 65,000 people with alcohol and substance addictions will lose treatment.
However, Anselmo noted that the legislature’s budget fully funds certain areas of state government operations and programs:
- All state employee payroll costs, including funds for minimum 4% salary increases for union employees.
- All Medicaid grants for Physicians, Hospitals and Nursing Homes.
- All operation costs for public universities and community colleges. Spending in these areas actually was increased.
- Elementary and secondary education grants such as general state aid and special education. Funding in these areas increases from last year.
Governor Pat Quinn and top legislative leaders–House Speaker Michael Madigan, House Minority Leader Tom Cross, Senate President John Cullerton, and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno–have been meeting regularly to seek solutions to the budget impasse. They meet again tomorrow.
The governor could instruct agencies to continue operating at current levels leaving lawmakers to agree on an income tax increase later this year, Anselmo says.
Leaders Radogno and Cross have said reforms and more cuts need to be agreed to before raising taxes.
At the moment, the doomsday budget (50% GRF in a lump sum for state departments) will not be sent to the Governor. President Cullerton filed a motion to reconsider the vote on Senate Bill 1197–the budget bill, and Cullertons’ motion prevents the bill from being sent to the Governor at this time.