Facing a proposed 11% reduction to HIV funding in the fiscal year 2012 Illinois state budget, over 150 AIDS advocates from across the state rallied March 2 in Springfield.

Advocates urged their legislators to enact a debt restructuring plan that would reduce the state's nearly $9 billion backlog of unpaid bills.  HIV service providers, social service agencies, universities, schools, and local governments are laying off staff and even closing their doors because they are waiting half-a-year or more to be paid by the state.

Advocates attended an afternoon of training on March 1 where they learned about the issues that they would discuss with their legislators.  They also spent time developing compelling stories about their lives that would bring the issues home to their elected officials.

AFC thanks legislators who addressed the crowd at the HIV/AIDS Lobby Day rally in the rotunda, including State Representatives Greg Harris (D-Chicago), Camille Lilly (D-Chicago), La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) and Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago).  During the rally, members of the Illinois Alliance for Sound AIDS Policy (Illinois ASAP) unveiled a new t-shirt campaign that aims to reduce the stigma of HIV.  Throughout the day, advocates living with HIV and allies sported red t-shirts with the words, “HIV POSITIVE.”

Other issues advocates discussed with their legislators include:

• The Personal Responsibility Education Program Act (SB 1619, Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago), which would institute in schools age-appropriate, medically-accurate sexual health education programs that include abstinence;
• HB 1748 (Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago), which aims to increase the number of state prison inmates who accept the offer of HIV testing by permitting opt-out HIV testing, and
• HB 1846 (Rep. Monique Davis, D-Chicago), which would require the Illinois Department of Corrections to establish HIV/AIDS sensitivity training programs for facility staff and allow inmates access to harm reduction supplies, including condoms.

AFC presented long-time advocates with two awards.  Will Wilson of Chicago received the Mary Dixon Advocate of the Year award for his advocacy for passage of national health reform.  The award is honors Mary Dixon, the ACLU of Illinois lobbyist who has partnered with AFC for nearly two decades to implement sound HIV policies in Springfield.  John Dawson, chair of AFC’s AIDS Housing Advisory Council, was presented with the Hector Hernandez award for recruiting his fellow advisory council members for lobby day.   The award is given in memory of extraordinary HIV advocate Hector Hernandez.

To stay up-to-date on state and federal HIV policy issues and contact your legislator to show your support, sign up for the Online Action Bulletin, or join the Illinois Alliance for Sound AIDS Policy (IL ASAP) Facebook page.

Additional resources:
Lobby Day training presentation
State budget fact sheet
Debt restructuring fact sheet (SB 3)
Illinois Personal Responsibility Education Act (PREP) (SB 1619)
Opt-out HIV testing in corrections (HB 1748)
Harm reduction in prisons (HB 1846)
Preparing effective testimony worksheet
Illinois Alliance for Sound AIDS Policy anti-stigma campaign
Illinois Alliance for Sound AIDS Policy Facebook page