With winter fast approaching, social services agencies are asking the General Assembly to restore funding to a program to help low-income households pay their utility bills.

Only federal funding has been provided for the Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, during the state budget impasse. Dalisto Sulamoyo, president of the Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies, says state money made up one-third of the total LIHEAP funding in the last fiscal year, and without it, thousands won’t receive assistance this winter to keep heating their homes.

Sulamoyo wants the General Assembly to pass a special appropriation to release that funding, which comes from a surcharge paid by other utility customers around the state. The House included that funding in an appropriations bill passed on Wednesday, and the Senate is expected to take it up next week.

And in other State news, local municipalities, domestic violence shelters, local 9-1-1 centers, and lottery winners are the intended recipients of almost $2 million the House passed this afternoon. Most of the money is from dedicated funds, including motor fuel tax collections and lottery ticket sales.

The domestic violence money comes from about $28 million in general revenue dollars, and State Rep. David Harris (R-Arlington Heights) made an issue of it, saying it’s general revenue and while they can appropriate it, there is the ongoing state budget issue.

The sponsor, House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago), had a ready answer: “Much of what is in this bill was requested by the governor himself.”

Harris and most of the other Republicans were holding their noses as they voted for the bill, but the governor said later that’s the nature of compromise; everybody finds something not to like.

The Senate is back Monday to consider it.