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Hegseth orders Pentagon to cut number of senior generals by 20%; House Committee takes up 'drill, baby, drill' budget today; WA voting rights advocates push for democracy vouchers statewide; NYS Jewish students speak to Congress; IN '50501' movement expands summer protests; Trump order targets marine monuments for commercial fishing.

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Trump administration offers $1,000 to undocumented migrants to self deport. Democrats oppose Social Security changes and Trump's pick to lead the agency, and Congress debates unpopular easing of limits on oil and gas drilling on public lands.

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Rural students who face hurdles going to college are getting noticed, Native Alaskans may want to live off the land but obstacles like climate change loom large, and the Cherokee language is being preserved by kids in North Carolina.

Overtime Cuts Coming to IL Home-Care Providers

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Tuesday, April 26, 2016   

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Starting next week, thousands of people with disabilities and the home healthcare workers who assist them could be affected by Illinois' new overtime-pay policy.

On May 1, the state begins enforcing a strict 40-hour workweek limit on home-care providers.

Advocacy groups in Illinois argue the move bypasses new federal rules that extend overtime protections to these workers.

Adam Ballard, organizing and policy manager for Access Living, says the policy essentially allows the state to avoid paying overtime, which has consequences not only for caregivers, but for the people who rely on those services.

"For people who have live-in personal attendants, those kind of workers often go over 40 hours a week," says Ballard. "It becomes a huge problem for families in that situation, where there's actually a live-in attendant who's often, but not always, a family member of some kind."

But Illinois' Department of Human Services says overtime cuts are needed, as the state can't afford any extra payments due to the months-long budget impasse.

Ballard says he sympathizes with the state's need to rein in spending on some services or create more revenue to balance the budget. But he also believes scaling back on home-care for some of Illinois' most vulnerable residents isn't the way to go.

"The bigger picture is, our state, in order to have a just budget that works for everyone," says Ballard. "Especially in this program, is to find real revenue solutions, where people who can afford to pay more in taxes are paying more in taxes."

Groups including Access Living and SEIU Healthcare Illinois are urging Gov. Bruce Rauner to make last-minute changes to the overtime policy this week, before it goes into effect.


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