Yesterday, Equip for Equality and its co-counsel, the ACLU of Illinois and the pro bono law firm Dentons, filed emergency motions seeking court orders to ensure that services for people with disabilities under the three community integration Consent Decrees continue despite the lack of a new state budget. Federal judges entered orders requiring the State of Illinois to continue funding in Ligas v. Norwood and Colbert v. Rauner. (Links to both court orders are below) The Consent Decree in Ligas covers people with developmental disabilities living in large state-funded facilities seeking to move into the community, as well as people with developmental disabilities living in the family home seeking community services. The Consent Decree in Colbert covers people with mental illness and/or physical disabilities living in nursing homes in Cook County who want to move into the community. A federal judge has been asked to enter a similar order in Williams v. Rauner, which covers people with mental illness living in large state-funded facilities who are seeking to move into the community. The motion in Williams will be heard on Thursday, July 2nd.
Agreed Order to Maintain Compliance with Ligas Consent Decree 6-30-15
Agreed Order to Maintain Compliance with Colbert Consent Decree 6-30-15