Originally published on May 11, 2021 9:29 pm
As a panel of state lawmakers prepares to grill members of Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration over how a COVID-19 outbreak at a state-run veterans’ home grew so massive it killed more than a quarter of the facility’s residents in the fall, Republicans in the Illinois House on Tuesday sent Attorney General Kwame Raoul a letter urging his office to open a criminal investigation into the matter.
The hearings and letter come on the heels of a damning report published by Pritzker’s office April 30, which places blame for the deadly viral outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home on a variety of factors, including lack of preparation, absentee leadership, lax COVID protocols and poor communication not just within the facility, but at the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
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Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Citing an improved outlook for the state’s finances, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday that he’ll increase evidence-based funding for schools by $350 million, offering some “relief” to parents, students and educators for the year ahead after initially keeping education funding flat.
While there are still “far too many who are struggling” in the state, Illinois’ fiscal outlook is “brighter than it was even three months ago,” Pritzker said at an unrelated news conference Thursday before announcing the additional funds.
“Back in February, when faced with financial uncertainty to the state and the prospect of billions of federal dollars going directly to our schools, I presented a flat operational budget for the state, which was all we could afford,” Pritzker said.
=== I was told that he hasn’t reviewed it yet. ===
I bet Dave Dring laughed at that one.
When you put yourself out there as a Progressive, but the only allies you can consistently bank on are the Tribune editorial board, you are eventually going to get jammed up like this in Springfield.
You gotta wonder how Durkin feels about Lightfoot’s threat to soak his taxpayers with Chicago’s pension problems too.
- James the Intolerant - Friday, Apr 30, 21 @ 10:53 am:
“Grossly underfunded”. Daley was 5 for 22, hitting .227.
Sen. Martwick’s bill could pass now. Mayor Lightfoot’s Would not.
By requiring Martwick to negotiate with the Mayor’s people, Pres. Harmon is demonstrating deference and respect to the new (ish) mayor.
Pat Nabong; Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times file
Just hours after the release of a scathing report on the state’s handling of a COVID-19 outbreak at an Illinois veterans’ home, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Friday he wouldn’t have hired the former director of veterans’ affairs had he known she would “abdicate” her responsibilities.
That was essentially the description of former veterans’ affairs chief Linda Chapa LaVia’s handling of the coronavirus crisis in the report from the inspector general of the Illinois Department of Human Services at the LaSalle Veterans Home, where 36 veterans have died of COVID-19.
Several witnesses told the inspector general that LaVia was “not a hands-on or engaged day-to-day Director,” leaving the management of the agency and the veterans homes themselves to her chief of staff.