Thursday, August 6, 2009

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn (D) in his fiscal year 2010 budget plan "nearly fully funded" HIV services in the state using discretionary funds, the Windy City Times reports. "Under the plan released July 31, Quinn allocated $40 million to the Illinois Department of Public Health, $17 million of which is to be spent on HIV/AIDS programming. In combination with the money already allocated in the state budget, this restores HIV/AIDS funding to 97.4 percent of previous levels," the article states. Mark Ishaug, president and CEO of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, said, "We are enormously grateful to Gov. Quinn for ensuring essential HIV/AIDS services continue, despite these difficult economic times." According to the Times, "The governor's plan also notes that the budget doesn't include funds to pay down $3.9 billion in money that the state owes – much of it to small non-profits such as HIV/AIDS service providers" (Worley, 8/5).