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Human service agencies to rally
County leaders aim to stress local economic worth amid Ill. budget impasse By KATIE DAHLSTROM kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com As the state’s budget woes continue to cripple their finances, human service agencies in McHenry County are planning an event meant to show their broad reach in the community. McHenry County Human Service Advocates, a group of local agencies, will host an awareness event called “Human Services Works” from 1 to 3 p.m. Aug. 12 at the Luecht Conference
Center at McHenry County College. Amanda Levinson, who handles corporate compliance for Family Alliance, said the event is meant to highlight the economic impact of human services. “This event is not so much about the budget impasse, because we are fighting for adequate funding every year,” Levinson said. “This event is the first step of many to raise public awareness.” Leadership Greater McHenry County Executive Director Marcy Pie-
kos, McHenry County Economic Development Coordinator Pam Cumpata, Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce President Mary Margaret Maule and state Sen. Pam Althoff, R-McHenry, will speak during the event. The stalemate between Democratic state legislators and Gov. Bruce Rauner has left agencies with more uncertainty than usual, advocates say. Family Alliance, which provides day programming, memory care and behavioral health services for more than
1,100 adults, usually receives about $60,000 annually in psychiatric capacity and non-Medicaid grant funding from the state, Levinson said. State money accounts for about 17 percent of the agency’s budget. Levinson said the agency will have to turn to the McHenry County Mental Health Board for some of the funding, which the agency collects through a special property tax levy.
See HUMAN SERVICES, page A2
If you go WHAT: Human Services Works awareness event WHEN: 1 to 3 p.m. Aug. 12 WHERE: Luecht Conference Center, McHenry County College, 8900 Route 14, Crystal Lake WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Business leaders, community advocates, local and state elected officials
No pressure as budget talks stall
RECLAIMING THE DEAD
By JOHN O’CONNOR The Associated Press
Photos by Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com
Laura Fry, a certified death midwife, demonstrates how to use a Tibetan singing bowl Wednesday at her Wauconda home.
Death midwives, home funeral advocates push to take care of loved ones “I went out and I held his hand. I said ‘What are you afraid of? This is nothing to be afraid of. This is someAUCONDA – Laura Fry thing you have lived all your life only knew the first man she for. This is not the end, this is the helped die as “dad.” beginning,’ ” Frey recalled. “None The 72-year-old man’s lungs and of us get out of this alive.” bones were riddled with cancer, He died two days later. leaving him in a constant agony Since that first time three years that was taking a toll on his mind. ago, Fry has helped three other famTo help their angry and frightened ilies with a dying loved one. father, the children turned to Fry, a She’s is part of a fledgling nationcertified death midwife. wide movement trying to reclaim As a death midwife, or death dou- care for the dying and the dead. la, Fry’s job is to provide emotional, Death midwives and proponents physical and sometimes religious of home funerals strive to remove and medical support to the dying and their families. See DEAD, page A6
By KATIE DAHLSTROM
kdahlstrom@shawmedia.com
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Fry displays the kit she brings while helping people transition to death.
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois has entered its second month without a state budget, and there’s no indication that summer’s dog days will present any new opportunities for a breakthrough in the squabbling between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democrats who control the General Assembly. Senators nonetheless will have to sweat over a tricky vote when they return to the Capitol on Tuesday – whether to reject a pay increase for themselves and violate the state Constitution, Bruce Rauner as the House already has done. Both chambers will hold one-day sessions in what’s become a weekly pilgrimage to Springfield. Lawmakers have approved no yearlong spending plan after they were unable to gather the votes necessary to override a gubernatorial veto of the one they adopted in May. And they continue to rail against Rauner’s demands for pro-business structural reforms even as they appear to be buckling to his pressure to reject the automatic pay raise. Here are some questions and answers on the status of the impasse:
Q: Why meet if there’s no progress in negotiations with the governor? A: House Speaker Michael Madi-
gan, a Chicago Democrat, characterizes the weekly appearances as a “continuous session.” If lawmakers didn’t show up periodically, it could be ammunition for Rauner, who rejects the General Assembly’s desire to raise taxes to fill a projected $4 billion deficit. Rauner vetoed that spending plan and let the last fiscal year lapse June 30 without a new plan in place. The first-year governor doesn’t want to talk about spending shortfalls until he gets legislative endorsement for his pro-business and anti-corruption initiatives, such
See STATE, page A2
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