Report/Resource

 The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a report on payday and deposit advance loans finding that for many consumers these products lead to a cycle of indebtedness. Loose lending standards, high costs, and risky loan structures may contribute to the sustained use of these products which can trap borrowers in debt.

Medicaid Expansion in Illinois

On February 5th, Medicaid expansion legislation (SB26) moved out of committee in the Illinois Senate.  SB26 is a critical component of the Affordable Care Act.  It is designed to get Illinois’ uninsured into the main-stream health care system.

Support SB26: A New Medicaid Opportunity for Illinois

SB26 would allow for 342,000 low-income adults in Illinois to be newly eligible for and enrolled in Medicaid over the next four years. Coverage for those who enroll would start on Jan 1, 2014. Enrollment starts Oct 2013.

SB26 includes language that would cease coverage for this new population if the federal government’s share of Medicaid matching funds drops below 90%. The federal government pays 100% of the costs of the newly eligible from 2014 through 2016.

Attachment: 

MedicaidExpansion_fact sheet_01152013.pdf

Citizen Action/Illinois is proud to release our 2012 Annual Report, summarizing the year's issue campaigns and victories. 

to read the report

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Attachment: 

CAILAnnualReport12.pdf

Congress has until December 31st to make a critical and historic choice. They can ask the richest 2% of Americans to pay their fair share, or they can put more money in wealthy pockets at the expense of the struggling middle class by allowing devastating automatic spending cuts to take effect. The best way to prevent these cuts from taking place is to repeal the Bush Tax Cuts for those making more than $250,000 a year. Take action now, tell Congress, loud and clear: Don’t give more tax breaks to people who don’t need them. 

As Congress approaches the so-called "fiscal cliff" we wanted to bring some sanity in to the discussion. Below is a terrific 5-point guide to the fiscal showdown from MoveOn that cuts through the political noise, but before beginning a policy discussion, it's important to remember that we just had a general election, and elections have consequences. In the voting booth, Iowans and Americans spoke loud and clear in favor of raising revenue and creating jobs:

The election is over and it’s time to make it count. Grassroots power is not just for elections.

Congress has until December 31st to make a critical and historic choice. They can ask the richest 2% of Americans to pay their fair share, or they can put more money in wealthy pockets at the expense of the struggling middle class.

The Action is a grassroots movement that demands we face this crisis. There is too much money and power in too few hands and the system is rigged to keep it that way. It’s time to level the playing field. It’s time to make things right.

Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) is a diverse coalition of 220 national, state, and local organizations united in support of a tax system that works for all Americans. It has come together based on the belief that the country needs comprehensive, progressive tax reform that results in greater revenue to meet our growing needs. This starts by ending the Bush-era tax breaks for the richest 2 percent and by making critical investments that create and sustain jobs while taking a balanced approach to addressing America’s fiscal challenges.

 Questionnaire

Attachment: 

CAI Kennedy questionnaire 10 01 2012.pdf

Citizen Action/Illinois is proud to announce the release of its 2012 Illinois State Legislative Scorecard. Follow the link below to read the entire scorecard. 

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Attachment: 

CAIL 2012 Scorecard - Final.pdf