Senior Services Among Victims of Illinois Shutdown

Senior citizens are among those feeling the pain of Illinois' partial government shutdown. AARP and other groups are calling on the state’s top politicians to set aside their differences and pass a state budget.

Brian Mackey reports on how the state budget shutdown is affecting senior citizens.

John Zorn, an 86-year-old Korean War veteran, says he’s had four eye operations in the past few years, which has made him almost blind.

"I had a choice of either going to assisted living or a nursing home,” he said.

Instead, he’s getting a ride to and from a senior center in Springfield every day.

"This program has allowed me to have one really fine meal a day at noon," Zorn said.

Except now, because of the Illinois shutdown, Zorn gets that meal just four days a week instead of five.

That’s because a lack of state funding has forced Senior Services of Central Illinois to cut back.

Gov. Bruce Rauner says he won’t negotiate on the budget until Democrats agree to a number of changes in state law, including some that would weaken government labor unions. Democrats say that is something they will not do.