On Wednesday I was pleased to welcome to the Capitol members of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, founded in 1908 on the campus of Howard University in “Service to All Mankind.” Particularly in the Black community, AKA remains at the forefront of positive change, focusing on academic excellence, service and global leadership. AKA’s signature program, Emerging Young Leaders, will impact 10,000 girls in grades six through eight by providing leadership development, civic engagement, enhanced academic preparation and character building.

Prominent women who are or have been AKA members include Eleanor Roosevelt, Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Star Jones, Alicia Keys, Phylicia Rashad, Mellody Hobson, Wanda Sykes, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Hazel O’Leary, Sheila Jackson Lee, Suzanne Malveaux and Karen Yarbrough. In the Illinois General Assembly, my colleagues Sen. Mattie Hunter, Sen. Toi Hutchinson and Rep. Monique Davis are members of Alpha Kappa Alpha.

I sponsored a Senate resolution designating May 15, 2013, Alpha Kappa Alpha Day in Illinois and honoring the women of AKA and the young women they mentor. I hope they had a rewarding and enjoyable visit to Springfield and the Capitol.

Photo caption: Sen. Collins on the floor of the Senate with AKA members (from left to right) Sharon Allen, Denice Simon and Kelsey Simon.

The Senate recently adopted a resolution I sponsored to thank Congress for preserving Saturday postal service. Individuals and businesses have relied on six-day mail service for the timely delivery of packages, letters and documents since 1912. Eliminating Saturday delivery – as the Postmaster General has attempted to do – would adversely affect many Americans but particularly rural residents, senior citizens, small businesses and working families. A reduction in delivery days would create a backlog of undelivered mail and increase the cost of postal service as employees work overtime to cope with the same volume of mail in only five days.

I applaud Congress for recognizing the duty of the Postal Service to operate in the public interest and urge our elected officials to continue to block USPS management from eliminating Saturday delivery in the future.

SPRINGFIELD — State Senator Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-16th) issued the following statement after voting against Senate Bill 1739, the gaming expansion package that passed the Senate today:

I have strongly and consistently condemned the devastating education cuts proposed by Gov. Quinn.

But I cannot condone replacing this money at the expense of families destroyed by gambling. At a time when government must act responsibly to protect its citizens and preserve core services, we should not rely on the financial irresponsibility of our own residents (and those of other states) to meet needs. To do so would be not only immoral, but self-defeating, requiring greater expenditures to assist the children and families who suffer when we make excessive gambling a more omnipresent temptation. This legislation does just that, offering vast new opportunities to wager one’s livelihood. None of the ethical safeguards advertised as improvements on earlier versions alters its ultimate and intended effect — to encourage more gambling in our state, particularly in its largest city.

The bargain we were offered today — gaming expansion in exchange for filling the threatened $400 million hole in the K-12 and higher education budgets — is a deceptive one. It promises to dull the urgency of our budget crisis without requiring lawmakers to make tough decisions and spread the pain equitably, taking into account the needs of the most vulnerable among us. It is a short-sighted fix, and I hope my colleagues in the House and the governor possess the courage and wisdom to reject it.

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Jacqueline Y. Collins (D-Chicago 16th) has introduced legislation that would implement a new nursing home reimbursement system six months earlier than allowed by last year’s Medicaid reforms.

“It is absolutely imperative that we implement this critical reform without delay so senior citizens unable to stay in their homes can receive the best possible long-term care,” said Collins, co-sponsor of landmark nursing home reform legislation in 2009. “The new system provides a financial incentive to shift the focus in long-term care away from simply filling beds and toward serving the patients whose needs are most acute.”

Last year’s SMART Act (Senate Bill 2840) made cuts to numerous Medicaid services but also required a transition by Jan. 1, 2014, to the Resource Utilization Groups (RUGs) long-term care reimbursement system, which is already used by 26 states’ Medicaid programs and nationally by Medicare. The goal was not only to cut costs but to realign long-term care in Illinois so beds are available for patients who cannot live independently. RUGs proponents argue Medicaid shouldn’t foot the bill for unneeded services or care that could have been provided more cheaply in the patient’s own home.

Collins wants RUGs in place by July 1, 2013.

“Many long-term care facilities that are doing the right thing and caring for our most vulnerable seniors are in danger of going out of business because the way they are paid by the state does not accurately reflect what they offer,” Collins said. “For years, I’ve been fighting substandard nursing home services and supporting facilities that provide high-quality care and employ registered nurses and other skilled staff. Moving forward with RUGs will help homes that are already offering great care to the patients who most desperately need it.”

Last week the Senate Executive Committee heard testimony on Collins’ legislation, SB 1476, but did not take a vote on the measure. A vote of the committee and debate by the full Senate are expected in the coming weeks.