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Lawmakers in Illinois were supposed to pass their state budget by July 1st,2015. More than three months later, lawmakers are at a stalemate with Republican Governor Bruce Rauner over union-weakening measures that the Democrat-controlled legislature refuses to pass.
And now millions of Illinois citizens are feeling the loss. Shannon Heffernan, and reporter and producer for WBEZ's Front and middle,has been telling their stories for a series called "Caught in the Middle."She tells The Takeaway about the faces and names behind the budget numbers, citizens like Amelia Jumper, and the director of a behavioral health middle in East St. Louis,Illinois, who had to close her residential addiction program and send some of her patients to a homeless shelter.
She describes the difficulties some parents now face, and as Governor Rauner cut back on state-funded child care programs to save money during the budget crunch. And Heffernan discusses a number of additional programs,includingEnglish as a moment Language for current immigrants and police mental health training that maintain been cut as a result of the budget stand-off. What you'll learn from this segment:What's happening in the state capitol of Springfield.
The impact the stand-off is having on families.
Whether the legislature and the governor can reach an agreement.
Source: wnyc.org