Domestic Violence Agencies Snubbed In Stopgap State Budget
(CBS) -- Domestic violence agencies across the state are entering crisis mode.
Activists just learned they were not included in the fall's stopgap budget.
That means victims may be further victimized, CBS 2's Dana Kozlov reports.
Illinois' Domestic Violence Hotline is often a victim's first line to help: a shelter or a local agency. But activists say a state funding mess is leaving many domestic violence services in peril.
Kathy Doherty says it stems from a November revelation when state officials told these providers domestic violence funding was not included in the summer's stopgap budget.
The executive director of the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence says it leaves the state's DV agencies without $18 million in expected funding, five months into the fiscal year.
Jill, a domestic violence survivor, says she wasn't aware of help when fleeing her ex-husband and believes funding service now should be a top priority.
Gov. Bruce Rauner's spokesperson says Illinois intends to honor all obligations to domestic violence programs with state contracts once a budget is passed.
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton calls this a concerning development, also pointing to the need for a budget. House Speaker Michael Madigan's office is looking into it.
