Governing Body Meeting Minutes January 31, 2008

GOVERNING BODY MEETING MINUTES January 31, 2008 9:00 a.m. Springfield, Illinois

I. INTRODUCTORY BUSINESS

A. ROLL CALL

PRESENT: Arlington Heights Jim Huenink Aurora Jan Faulhaber Belleville Caprice Smith Bloomington Yadira Ruiz Carbondale Ami Lilley Charleston/Mattoon Bonnie Buckley Chicago, CCCC Courtney Avery Chicago, Loop YWCA Jeanette Castellanos Butt, Judith Nelson, Meisha Lyons Chicago, Mujeres Neusa Gaytan, Maritza Reyes Chicago, RVA Sharmili Majmudar Chicago Heights Barbara McCormick Sommerville, Debbie Perry Danville Nancy Cahall, Suzzen Borcz Decatur Peg Kovach DeKalb Linda Moser Galena Josh Jasper, Rita Duvé Glen Ellyn Loren Simmons Gurnee Lynn Osborn Hickory Hills Lynn Siegel, Patty Murphy Joliet Donna Plier Kankakee Susan Wynn Bence Macomb Diane Mayfield Peoria Julie Boland Princeton Connie Doran Quad Cities Violeta Talandis Quincy Susan Goodwin, Jerry Gille Rockford Maureen Mostacci Springfield Shelly Ganz, Catherine Walters Sterling Shelly Bonnell Urbana/Champaign Jennie Hill, Tami Tunnel Vandalia Carolyn Daniels

ABSENT: Elgin Streator

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GUESTS: Cynthia Murphy, McHenry Susan Catania, Illinois Department of Human Services Carolyn Broughton, Illinois Department of Human Services

ICASA STAFF: Polly Poskin Margaret Green Carol Corgan Lyn Schollett Jane Fee Carrie Ward Denyse Snyder Jesse Pierce Sean Black Yvonne Bronke

B. DECISION-MAKING PROCESS

Jeanette Castellanos Butt reminded the Governing Body to review the consensus decision-making process, which was distributed at the start of the meeting.

C. APPROVE GOVERNING BODY MINUTES

The Governing Body reviewed the November 15, 2007 meeting minutes. Julie Boland recommended approval of the minutes. The Governing Body approved the minutes by consensus.

D. STAFF REPORT

1. Carol and Leslie met with DHS monitors who conducted their annual site visit on January 4.

2. This week staff completed progress reports for Attorney General, VOCA, IVPA, VAWA STOP and VAWA RPE funds. Staff also submitted applications for continuation funds for VAWA STOP grant and AG grant.

3. On January 24, Carrie, Sean and Susan convened IVPA grantees for training of new sites and technical assistance/networking with ongoing sites.

4. Carol and Sean attended a two-day grantee meeting with DHS Disability Collaborative members in St. Louis and met with the committee monthly. On January 28, Carol, Sean, Susan and Denyse participated in training for focus groups to be held statewide in February and March. Sean and Carol are working to schedule focus groups and will help with the needs assessment report.

5. Carrie, Margaret and Lisa worked with Contracts Review Committee to finalize all IVPA Bulling Prevention grants. Kudos to Carrie and 2 Governing Body Meeting Minutes January 31, 2008

Margaret for synthesizing mounds of paper into summary charts for the committee members to review.

6. Polly and Lyn met with the three Cook County Work Group subcommittees on January 10 and 11. Progress is slow but sure. Candice Kane continues to lead the full Work Group as a volunteer. Thanks to Candice!

7. Carrie, Carol, Polly and Sean have all been involved in meeting with representatives from YFRC and DHS in Danville by telephone and in person regarding the status of the organization.

8. ICASA’s Annual Report is at the printer, and centers will be receiving it soon.

9. Lyn and Carrie conducted two special trainings on confidentiality in December. Thanks to them for planning these sessions and thanks to centers for attending.

10. Libby and Lyn have done a lot of research and writing on SASETA to respond to proposed rules and regulations and to keep advocates informed.

11. Susan and Denyse conducted training with Department of Probation staff on Tuesday, January 29.

12. Thanks to Denyse for her open space facilitation at Manager’s Training Wednesday, January 30 and to the Training Institute staff and Training Committee for planning this training. Thanks to all who participated.

13. Polly and Carol did some background research on succession planning and synthesized materials for the committee to review.

14. Polly discussed the expected cuts in VOCA and the certain cuts in VAWA funds in FY09. The most recent information is that ICASA will experience a $1.3 million reduction in VOCA funds. We will need to talk further about how to manage this cut.

II. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE – Jeanette Castellanos Butt

A. VOCA ROLLOVER FUNDS

Jeanette noted that Executive Committee approved a budget revision that moved $6,069.75 in unspent VOCA rollover to the training budget.

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B. STRIP CLUB TAX

Jeanette noted that Executive Committee discussed the possibility of legislation that would impose a tax on customers of strip clubs. This could generate new revenue, but comes with philosophical barriers: should ICASA benefit from a tax on a business that exploits women?

Yadira Ruiz said she is really uncomfortable with this idea; if we were to do it, we should certainly include a service that assists the women who are exploited in getting out of the strip club work.

Violeta Talandis said we could collaborate with anti-poverty organizations to aid women in the industry.

Peg Kovach said she dealt with the moral dilemma regarding bingo as a fundraiser. Ultimately she and her board decided that if the money was going to be spent on gambling, it may as well benefit the center.

Susan Faupel said it could create a conflict of interest for us: if we were ever in a position to dismantle all strip clubs, we would pause because they would now be a revenue stream for us.

Jim Huenink said this would not shut down strip clubs and he would block a recommendation to support it.

Polly said we don’t see any new revenue streams in Illinois. As a practical matter, this would be one way to generate new revenue to aid those harmed by the industry.

Lyn Schollett said one alternative would be to tax a wider range of the entertainment industry. It is harder to pass a tax hike like that, though that is what Connecticut did.

Courtney Avery said the Governor’s office has a department that looks at trends across the country, and we should find out what they think about such a bill. She said she would support it if the funds went to aid women exploited in prostitution and other aspects of the sex industry.

Yadira compared the tax to accepting funds from pornographers. Young women are maturing in a culture that glorifies objectification. It is hard to think about taking funding from the same club that we would put a billboard above in protest.

Diane Mayfield said her center has served women who work in the industry. She said this tax wouldn’t end it; the funds would need to be spent not just for rape crisis services, but for services to help women get out of the business. She doesn’t gamble, but is glad the casinos have to pay for services for gambling addicts.

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Polly said we had a similar talk about the creation of VCVA because some of those funds were generated by crime. This is a tax on a strip club.

Susan Wynn Bence said its different to accept funds directly from a company than to benefit from a tax on that business. She asked why we shouldn’t take the funds and be diligent about their use. She shares the sick feeling about it but thinks we should consider the possibilities.

Connie Doran said she sees the tax as different than a donation. A tax is a punishment that is imposed and collected by the state.

Courtney asked about the process to go ahead with this opportunity.

Carolyn Daniels said billboards will not make any difference in who goes to strip clubs. If we can get funding, we may want to consider this.

Ami Lilley said she thinks this issue is too big to wrestle with today. It requires more thought and processing. All the points made today are good, but we may need to digest this longer.

Susan Wynn Bence said we would want to be sure that some of the funds support substance abuse services to aid the women in the industry who are addicted.

Donna Plier said we need services for these women. She doesn’t like taking their money, but would rather take it than let them keep it.

Jane Fee said maybe we should look at a broader tax with broad distribution. We do need new revenue streams.

Diane recommended that the Governing Body authorize the staff to look into it further. Jeanette said there is a deadline for introducing new legislation.

Diane clarified her recommendation to say staff should work to draft and introduce a bill to create this tax. The drafting should address the range of agencies and services to receive funds to benefit those harmed by the industry.

Courtney recommended and Diane agreed the bill should only include strip clubs.

Ami said it seems lopsided to give this issue so little discussion time; we spent a long time with many thoughtful discussions before taking a position on prostitution. Just because there are funds associated with this, we should not cut discussion and deliberation short. We need more time to consider the decision and should not act today. She said she would block consensus.

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Maureen Mostacci said she feels we are in a race and should take the time to consider this further and do more research. Some of the ideas presented today make the idea more palatable, but need more discussion.

Jim said he too is uncomfortable with the timeline. He wants more time to consider and research and think about options and outcomes. If we were to go ahead, we should assess development of services in rape crisis centers to aid women harmed in the industry.

Catherine Walters said that beyond the possibility of revenue for ICASA is the possibility of a struggle at the legislature to pass this initiative. This struggle creates an opportunity for public debate and to bring our viewpoint to the public.

Courtney asked if ICASA members would be more supportive if ICASA weren’t the lead sponsor of the bill. The Coalition for the Homeless works in this field and could propose the statute and be the primary or sole beneficiary of it. Other leaders could be the Chicago Foundation for Women, among others.

Polly said we would definitely want to be in the lead proposing this bill if we want to benefit from the funds generated . We also need to consider allies and how to share any benefit. Any time we build a collaboration, we have more allies and support and also have a smaller share of the revenue.

Carol asked about the down side of waiting a year. Polly said the down side is that someone else could introduce this proposal. The idea is available to other groups unless we claim it.

Patty Murphy said if we don’t act now, someone else will propose this legislation and we will miss out. Lynn Siegel asked how feasible it is to draft a bill in two weeks to meet the February 15 bill introduction deadline.

Lyn said it can happen quickly.

Courtney said it would probably be next year before a bill could be passed, and would probably be 2010 before we see any yield. We are losing a year’s worth of time if we wait.

Ami said it feels we are making this decision under pressure. She would hate to decide to do this to preempt others before we are sure we want to do it. If we miss the opportunity, that is preferable to making a decision we will later regret.

Debbie Perry said she has listened here and at Executive Committee. As she has watched other funding legislation go through; she has seen how creative other entities seeking funding are. Child Advocacy Centers passed a fine on every criminal case which is earmarked for Child Advocacy Centers. We need to keep in perspective the picture down the road.

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Susan Catania said this would be a revenue bill, which would open a door to the revenue statutes. It can be amended anywhere along the line.

Shelly Ganz said many objections are based on morals and values, and another six months of discussion won’t change those. A lot more discussion may end up with all of us staying with our original positions.

Yadira said this isn’t about morals and values. That doesn’t give us enough credit for learning from each other. We are about creating social change and not endorsing an industry we are opposed to. We all have different reasons for wanting to hurry up. She loves working for her center and with ICASA because of what we do and the philosophy of services. She is uncomfortable with this as a woman and as a worker in a movement that wants to change the normalization of harms to women.

Jim said he has missed these kinds of discussions, this is our soul we are talking about. He noted that Lyn said yesterday, in the workshop, that lobbying for ICASA is easy because we work for one issue, one cause. How would it feel to advocate for this legislation? Realizing the practical side of things, he is not sure we have the luxury of being impractical because of funding cuts. But right now, he wants to retain a sense of idealism about what we do and how we do it.

Jeanette asked if there were objections to the recommendation.

Yadira and Jim objected.

Yadira blocked consensus. She proposed a compromise that we discuss the issue further, give ourselves a chance to research and learn from each other and set aside time for that. Jim said he would like to have a draft of legislation to consider. The only legislation ICASA should consider introducing prior to another Governing Body meeting is a shell bill.

Courtney asked about a shell bill. Polly said that it is a bill that basically says nothing. Then you have time to add information to the bill. Courtney said if we could do a shell bill, we would buy time. Polly said we could try to use that option; a shell bill is a vehicle that gives the Governing Body a chance to talk again.

Jeanette asked for clarification regarding the compromise. Governing Body members discussed whether to introduce a shell bill and when to hold a meeting to review draft legislation for the shell bill.

The final compromise proposal is:

1. Do not proceed with specific legislation now. 2. Research, draft and discuss proposed legislation at the next Governing Body meeting.

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3. Pursue a shell bill immediately, to fill in later, pending approval of a draft bill by the Governing Body. 4. If no shell bill is possible or no draft legislation is approved, continue talking and researching the issues for next year.

Jeanette asked for consensus on the compromise.

Ami said she needs clarification on the shell bill. It feels like a lot of pressure. Lyn said a shell bill is a placeholder. It does not oblige action. The risk with a shell bill is that it is a hot commodity and can be taken away.

Courtney asked about the time frame to get the language in one week and have Governing Body discuss the next week and proceed with the February 15 deadline.

Polly and Lyn said that’s tight. Legislative staff would have to do this. Courtney said we can withdraw our support at any time, but the 15th is critical because it is when we would need to introduce the bill, though we aren’t obliged to follow through with it. Lyn said once we put in language, it is public. She doesn’t hear a philosophical consensus yet. She would be reluctant to introduce a bill without common understanding and agreement about the concepts. Yadira concurred.

Josh Jasper asked what will change – how will seeing a draft change people’s positions, if to tax strip clubs or not is the central issue.

Jim said he is not ready to support this, but senses that a majority of members do support it.

Jeanette asked for consensus.

Ami asked if Yadira would remove the shell bill language from the compromise. Yadira left the compromise as is.

Lynn Siegel and Courtney blocked consensus on the compromise.

The Governing Body voted on the original proposal and the compromise. The original received 20 votes; the compromise received 8 votes. The original proposal prevailed. Jeanette thanked the Governing Body for the rich participation in the discussion.

C. STRATEGIC PLANNING

Jeanette reviewed Executive Committee’s strategic planning discussion and recommendations.

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1. Role

Executive Committee recommends that ICASA continue as a funder of sexual assault services in Illinois. The Governing Body approved the recommendation by consensus.

2. Structure

Executive Committee recommends that the Governing Body affirm the current governance structure. The Governing Body approved the recommendation by consensus.

3. Decision-Making

Jeanette distributed a survey on ICASA’s decision making process. Executive Committee will review the survey feedback in the next strategic planning discussion.

III. PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE – Debbie Perry

A. LEGISLATION

Debbie reviewed legislation ICASA is working on this session.

B. RESOLUTION

The Public Affairs Committee recommends that ICASA staff, in consultation with the Public Affairs Committee or its Co-Chairs, be empowered to take positions on sexual assault-related legislation between Governing Body meetings.

The Governing Body approved the recommendation by consensus.

IV. FINANCE COMMITTEE – Rita Duvé

A. ICASA INVESTMENTS

Finance Committee reviewed an update on ICASA’s investments from Nancy Parsons.

B. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Finance Committee recommends that the December financial statements be filed for audit. The Governing Body approved the recommendation by consensus.

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C. DISPOSITION OF EXCESS FUNDS

Finance Committee agreed to wait to decide what to do with excess funds until the FY09 funding picture is clearer.

V. CONTRACTS REVIEW COMMITTEE – Diane Mayfield

A. INCREASED IVPA BULLYING PREVENTION ALLOCATION

1. Revisions

Six of 11 requests for increases require revisions. Staff asked permission to work with centers to make the revisions. Contracts Review Committee recommends approval of each application, pending revisions to be completed by the center working with staff:

Belleville Rockford Joliet Springfield Peoria Streator

The six center delegates left the room. The Governing Body approved the recommendation by consensus.

2. Approval

Contracts Review Committee recommends approval of five centers’ applications:

Bloomington Hickory Hills Chicago, MLEA Vandalia DeKalb

The five center delegates left the room. The Governing Body approved the recommendation by consensus.

B. CHAIR

Contracts Review Committee recommends that Catherine Walters serve as Chair for the remainder of FY08.

The Governing Body approved the recommendation by consensus.

VI. PROGRAM COMMITTEE – Maureen Mostacci

The Committee had no recommendations.

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VII. TRAINING COMMITTEE – Ami Lilley

The Committee had no recommendations.

VIII. PERSONNEL COMMITTEE – Donna Plier

The Committee did not meet. The Ad Hoc Committee on Succession Planning met and will report in March.

IX. OTHER BUSINESS

A. MEN’S GROUP – Josh Jasper

The group met and discussed a mission, composition and roles and presented a draft to Governing Body. Josh agreed to serve as Chair if Governing Body approves formation of a group. Josh recommends creation of a Men’s Group that will be parallel to Women of Color Caucus and Allies for Racial Justice; the group will not be an ICASA committee. The Governing Body approved the recommendation by consensus.

The Governing Body reviewed proposed goals. Polly suggested a change to one goal. Josh recommended approval of mission goals and composition as revised. The Governing Body approved the recommendation by consensus. (Attachment #1)

B. MONEY

Polly discussed upcoming cuts in VOCA funds.

The financial situation is dire and we are unsure if there is a way to restore any of the funding.

C. EXECUTIVE SESSION

Jeanette said the Governing Body needs to meet in Executive Session to discuss issues about a center. Diane Mayfield recommends meeting in Executive Session. The Governing Body approved the recommendation by consensus.

Executive Session minutes are on file at the ICASA office.

Minutes submitted by: Carol Corgan

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