Illinois' Commission on the Elimination of Poverty Set to Meet on October 28

One of the major accomplishments of the From Poverty to Opportunity Campaign in 2008 was the creation of the Commission on the Elimination of Poverty. As you may recall, this Commission was created to give the state the blueprint it needs to end poverty in a manner consistent with international human rights standards. The initial task of the Commission is to create a substantive, measurable plan that cuts extreme poverty in half by 2015.

Since the bill was signed into law back in the summer of 2008, we have waited. And waited. Appointments needed to be made that did not happen. Making things more complicated, a governor was arrested, a new governor sworn in, and a massive budget crisis (which has not gone way) jumped in front of many other issues.

Through all these roadblocks, the campaign's members have continued to push for the Commission to meet and begin its work. In September, the final appointments to the Commission were made by the leaders in the Senate. Since then, the Campaign has been working closely with the Governor's office to prepare for the Commission's first meeting, October 28 in Springfield.

This first meeting is not small accomplishment. With all the roadblocks mentioned and the fact that dozens, if not hundreds, of commissions and boards established via legislation never get off the ground, the progress on the Commission on the Elimination of Poverty is a sign of both the commitment to this issue of the thousands of individuals and organizations across the state and the importance of the issues the Commission must tackle.

As we have pointed out before, a lot has changed since we launched the Campaign in 2006, but one thing, unfortunately, remains the same. Too many people are experiencing extreme poverty in Illinois. (pdf)

Now is the time for action.

There will be numerous opportunities for people throughout the state to make their voice heard about what is needed to realize the human rights of those experiencing this extreme level of hardship. If you have not endorsed the Campaign, do it now to stay informed, show your commitment to the Campaign's goals, and help hold the Commission accountable.