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LWVIL needs you to contact your Illinois state legislators and urge them to support and fund:
- Voting by Mail and,
- Legislation which addresses basic needs of populations which have been hit hardest by the pandemic.
The Illinois General Assembly must negotiate a budget before the end of May. We know there will be serious cuts, but we also know that some increases are essential to ensure full participation in the November election and to meet basic needs of populations which have been hardest hit by the pandemic.
Thank you for your continued support,
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ACTION NEEDED:
Contact your STATE SENATOR and STATE REPRESENTATIVE and urge them to support:
- Sending a ballot to every registered voter, and;
- Funding the resources necessary to handle the increased response to the vote by mail.
WHAT THIS MEANS:
- Send every registered voter a ballot by Mail for the November 2020 election to ensure every voter has access to the ballot in November.
- Maintain election day polling places and early voting opportunities for those who wish to vote in person.
- Ensure a safe environment for poll workers and voters at polling places in November and early voting sites.
- Support upfront funding to election authorities for increased capacity needs
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LWVUS POSITION:
The League of Women Voters of the United States believes that voting is a fundamental citizen right that must be guaranteed.
LWVUS CALL TO ACTION:
"The League of Women Voters officially calls on all states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia to expand no-excuse absentee voting and mail-in ballots for the duration of the 2020 election cycle. In light of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, it is imperative for state election officials to address voters' and poll workers' fears by limiting the need to cast an in-person ballot."
Sending all voters a ballot by mail will prevent the 108 local election authorities from being overwhelmed with ballot requests due to limited staff and resources. The right of every citizen to have access to vote has been a basic League principle since our founding 100 years ago. It is essential for voters to have flexibility in casting their vote. Just as generations before us met the challenges of their time, we can meet the challenges today to ensure our elections remain safe and accessible to all.
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EQUITABLE FUNDING FOR BASIC HUMAN NEEDS: Access to Healthcare
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ACTION NEEDED:
Ask your STATE SENATOR and STATE REPRESENTATIVE to support increased funding for healthcare programs that promote access for historically underserved communities in the 2021 Budget.
WHAT THIS MEANS:
- Access to free testing and high-quality culturally- appropriate care for COVID-19 and related health issues regardless of immigration status, and;
- Mobilizing for contact tracing.
LWVUS POSITION:
Every U.S. resident should have access to a basic level of care that includes the prevention of disease, health promotion and education, primary care, acute care, long-term care, and mental health care.
WHY IT MATTERS:
- Communities of color have had a disproportionate number of infections and deaths. On the front line as essential workers, they are less likely to have health insurance, or the ability to self-quarantine at home.
- Illinois residents in confined spaces - nursing homes, prisons, and detention centers - have been hit hard by the pandemic. There is danger of infection to residents and staff as well as to the community outside.
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EQUITABLE FUNDING FOR BASIC HUMAN NEEDS: Rental and Mortgage Assistance & Extensions of Moratoriums
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ACTION NEEDED:
Ask your STATE SENATOR and STATE REPRESENTATIVE to support HB5574 (HA1)
to provide rental and mortgage assistance, regardless of immigration status, as well as programs that extend moratoriums on evictions, foreclosures, and utility shutoffs.
LWVUS POSITIONS:
Persons who are unable to work, whose earnings are inadequate, or for whom jobs are not available have the right to an income and/or services sufficient to meet their basic needs for housing.
Opportunities for purchase or renting of homes, and for borrowing money for housing should not be restricted because of discriminatory reasons such as race, color, sex, religion, or national origin.
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT:
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Housing is a form of healthcare: If you have no home, you cannot shelter-place or self-quarantine. Without running water, you cannot practice good hygiene.
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There was a pre-COVID shortage of available and affordable housing for low income people. Lack of stable and secure housing is a threat to the affected individual/family and society at large.
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Many of the most vulnerable communities in Illinois, especially black and brown communities, have suffered a disproportionate percentage of COVID-19-related job loss and difficulty accessing stimulus funds, unemployment insurance, and housing assistance or have been ineligible for federal or state assistance.
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Prior to COVID-19, more than 579,000 very low income or extremely low income renter households in Illinois spent more than half of their income on housing costs (as opposed to one third, which is recommended) This number is expected to increase to 650,000 households (Housing Action Illinois)
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The Federal Reserve Bank reported (05/14/20) that 40% of households with annual incomes <$40,000 reported a job loss in March
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EQUITABLE FUNDING FOR BASIC HUMAN NEEDS: Access to Food
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ACTION NEEDED:
Ask your STATE SENATOR and STATE REPRESENTATIVE to support
programs that promote access to food, regardless of immigration status:
- Extension of emergency SNAP benefits
- Food Pantries
- School Lunches
LWVUS Position:
Persons who are unable to work, whose earnings are inadequate, or for whom jobs are not available, have the right to an income and/or services sufficient to meet their basic need for food.
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT:
- We know that everyone has to have food. It is essential to ensure that programs have adequate funding for SNAP recipients, food pantries, students receiving free and reduced lunches, etc.
- Real wages have not kept up with housing costs. After paying rent, many have few funds left for food.
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EQUITABLE FUNDING FOR BASIC HUMAN NEEDS: Income Assistance
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ACTION NEEDED:
Ask your STATE SENATOR and STATE REPRESENTATIVE to support:
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Increased funding for programs that promote timely unemployment compensation for any resident, regardless of immigration status, and;
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A state fund for cash assistance to low income individuals most directly impacted by COVID-19 who could not qualify for cash assistance from the federal stimulus.
LWVUS POSITION:
Persons who are unable to work, whose earnings are inadequate, or for whom jobs are not available, have the right to an income.
WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT:
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Through the five weeks from March 1 to April 4, Illinois received 513,173 initial unemployment claims-which is greater than the total number of initial claims for the entirety of 2019 (489,831) and five times greater than the claims filed in the first five weeks of the 2008 great recession;
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To meet the needs of applicants and claimants, the Illinois Dept. of Employment Security overhauled the website infrastructure, expanded the call center capacity, and secured private partnerships to expand capacity in its existing systems and implementation of new programs. This department cannot afford cuts, and;
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Many of the most vulnerable communities in Illinois - particularly immigrants - and have not been eligible to receive federal stimulus funds.
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League of Women Voters of Illinois
332 S. Michigan Avenue, Suite 634, Chicago, IL 60604
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