November 21, 2008- (Chicago, IL) – Illinois’ leading state alcohol and drug treatment advocates today congratulated Governor Rod Blagojevich for restoring $55 million to the state’s alcohol and drug treatment budget.
The Governor signed legislation SB 1103 which would restore $55 million to state addiction treatment services for Fiscal Year 2009 and restore care to 42,000 people across Illinois.
“We congratulate Governor Blagojevich for his action to restore the addiction treatment money to the budget,” said Sara Moscato Howe, CEO of the Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association. “Thousands of lives will be saved from the scourge of substance abuse addiction.”
On July 9, Blagojevich cut $55 million from addiction treatment services and also line-item vetoed money from specific programs: victims of domestic violence, women returning from incarceration, youth treatment, youth in the court system, and women receiving federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families who require treatment to be employed.
The General Assembly approved overwhelmingly the supplemental budget in September.
Fiscal Year 2009 ends on June 30.
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