Yesterday, the Illinois Senate passed legislation that would phase out the use of 14c certificates in Illinois. House Bill 793 would prohibit facilities in Illinois from claiming an exemption allowing them to pay workers with disabilities less than minimum wage.
While I support paying everyone fairly, I opposed this legislation because of the harm it would do to the people at 14c providers throughout our state, like the one in Batavia. As its executive director has told me, they are not an employer, they provide a service.
This legislation risks the mental health and independence of disabled individuals, imposes greater financial burdens on families and undermines community-based solutions that are already working effectively. Contact the Governor’s office and ask him to veto the bill.