Late on Tuesday evening, May 29, 2001, Governor George Ryan and Legislative Leaders announced that they had agreed on a $53 billion state budget that did not include the $7 million needed to start FamilyCare in Illinois

This is deeply disappointing, and might have gone the other way as recently as a week earlier, when the Governor's spokesman announced to United Power leaders that Ryan was changing his position to support FamilyCare.

At that moment House Speaker Madigan backed off of his early support for FamilyCare. Senate Democratic Leader Emil Jones was an early and consistent supporter, and Senate President Pate Philip has been consistently opposed to FamilyCare.

For those of us more interested in human dignity and justice than politics, it is infuriating to see cynical politics push the needs of 200,000 working people -- many of them our members -- to the side. They have been told that their health needs must "wait till next year."

That said, the campaign in support of FamilyCare shocked all Springfield observers with its broad and diverse support; tenacious advocacy; and unanimous editorial endorsement. United Power distinguished itself as a citizens’ organization that must be respected. Unlike every other human needs initiative during this tight budget year, we were alive until the final days of the session, and packed a lot more "kick" than political leaders expected.

Most significant human needs efforts take two years to accomplish. In the first year the idea is "tested" and support and opposition is gauged. These measures are usually passed in the second year, often an election year, as legislators work to bring home popular initiatives before their re-election bid. FamilyCare goes into the next budget season (Veto Session this fall, and then the Spring Legislative session of '02) in an extremely strong position.

We have caused Governor Ryan to publicly support FamilyCare. We have organized the support of our membership; our religious, business, and labor allies; and of newspaper editorials. There is no organized opposition to FamilyCare – it is strictly an issue of budget priorities.

United Power members and leaders have much to be proud of. We have placed the issue of the uninsured squarely in the center of the conversation in Springfield, and demonstrated the power of the issue and its constituents.

Thank you to all of the Lakeview Action Coalition leaders who signed and collected more than 2,500 postcards, gave personal testimony, turned out 75 strong for the March 31 rally at the Thompson Center and met with legislators in Chicago and in Springfield! Your work for justice for those without health care security in our state will not be in vain.