State Treasurer Micharel Frerichs snet out a weekly email entitled, “Any Father Would Do The Same.”

Having chatted with him before one of Crystal Lake’s Independence Days Parade, that surprised me.

How could he be defending President Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter for actual and potential crimes?

Turns out the topic of the email was much more heart-warming.

I’ve reprinted it below:

Doing Our Best for the Most Vulnerable  

Why would a father tell a generous relative not to give his son money for a birthday or a holiday?

Most people can’t imagine a parent denying their child such a gift, but parents of children with disabilities understand that scenario. Several years ago, I met Stuart Spielman, and he told me his heartbreaking story.

A family member wanted to give Stuart’s two sons some money, and he had to tell his relative that he could give money to one son, but not to his other son. Those cash gifts from a relative risked losing something far more valuable for Stuart’s son, Zak.

Zak, who has autism, qualified for federal benefits such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). But those benefits were means tested, which meant that Zak couldn’t have more than $2,000 in his name or he wouldn’t be eligible for benefits.

Stuart thought it was wrong that the rules treated his sons differently, and he tirelessly worked with other parents, including Stephen Beck Jr., for years lobbying Congress to give people with disabilities a brighter financial future.

The Stephen Beck Jr. ABLE Act was finally signed into law 10 years ago this month. ABLE is short for Achieving a Better Life Experience. That’s what every parent wants for their children.

In 2015, the state legislature passed a bill allowing my office to set up the Illinois ABLE program. I have told you about some of the challenges in setting it up. By working together with treasurers from red and blue states, we created one of the best ABLE programs in the country, administered by a consortium of 18 states plus the District of Columbia.

People with disabilities can now save their own money in an ABLE account up to $100,000 without losing their SSI benefits. ABLE accounts allow for tax-free investment growth when the money is spent on qualified disability expenses, things like assistive technology, therapies, specialized equipment, transportation, job coaching, health care, education, and more. This will be one of the most impactful things my office can do to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

This program is also important to me because of the involvement of one of my best friends, who was the sponsor of the original legislation in the Illinois Senate. Sen. Scott Bennett cared deeply about fairness for people with disabilities and worked with us on every subsequent piece of legislation we passed to improve the program, from establishing a $10,000 state tax deduction for contributions to accounts to further protecting contributions from Medicaid asset recovery.

As excited as I am to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the ABLE legislation, it is bittersweet for me because this month marks two years since Scott’s untimely passing from complications from a brain tumor. Scott was the father of young twins. He passed soon after I found out that Erica and I were pregnant with twins, and before I could share that news with him.

Scott was the funniest person I know, and he easily made many friends. Our lives have all been dimmer without him around. He also left behind an amazing wife, Dr. Stacy Bennett, who has created a campaign that encourages people to “Be Like Bennett.”

In addition to his strong support of people with disabilities, Scott volunteered with numerous organizations, and he provided an example of how to work across the aisle.

It’s such a great thing to help a person with a disability in your life achieve greater autonomy and independence. If you know someone who would benefit from an Illinois ABLE account, we would love to help you set one up for them. If you know someone who already has an account, the holidays are coming up and you can consider contributing as a gift. You also likely can claim a deduction on your state taxes.

This is a season to be generous. If you don’t have money to give, please “Be Like Bennett” and find other ways to help our neighbors by volunteering with your favorite charity.

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