Despite canceling all but one day next month, Illinois House ready to get back to work, even remotely

(The Center Square) – The Illinois House has canceled all but one session day next month and there’s bipartisan support to allow for remote work so they can take care of the business of the people amid COVID-19 concerns.

Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch, D-Hillside, canceled all planned session days in Springfield next month with the exception of Feb. 10 when Representatives are expected at the Illinois State Capitol to pass the House Rules. The House Rules could change to allow for remote actions by lawmakers unwilling to physically return to the capitol.

The cancelations follow the trend from last year where legislative leaders canceled 70 percent of their days last year. Lawmakers received their full pay during that time, minus the travel and food stipend they get if they attend session in Springfield.

“There’s no reason for us to go back to work, it’s been long overdue,” said state Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna. “In my opinion government is certainly essential.”

“People that are working for [Illinois Department of Employment Security, the state’s unemployment agency], [Illinois Department of Public Health], for us in Springfield, they need to be in their seats, in their buildings, and doing the work of the people and so do we,” McCombie said.

Many state agencies have held state employees off from returning to their government offices, opting for remote work instead. One agency that has remained closed to the public most of the pandemic is IDES. People seeking unemployment benefits will find their local IDES offices closed.

“IDES offices are closed to the public until further notice,” the agency’s website says.

State Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Morrisonville, said some may see state government not being the essential operations it’s supposed to be, as is evident with scores of citizens finding problems accessing government services.

“I’ve gotten calls every single day from folks who cannot get services from the state government,” Bourne told WMAY. “Whether that’s unemployment, whether that’s [Firearm Owner Identification card]-related issues, we get calls from people who are desperate every day for help from their state agency and aren’t able to access that.”

FOID card backlogs continue to mount with more than 175,000 backlogged, according to Illinois State Police.

Bourne also said the state needs to hold hearings and conduct audits of the unemployment issues where lawmakers still don’t have answers to the scope of fraud and the severity of the state’s backlog of unemployment claims.

State Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, agreed the legislature is essential, and he fully expects to be more engaged than they were last year.

“We are a coequal branch of government, so we are essential,” West said. “And Speaker [Chris] Welch said, the one thing he mentioned that stuck out to a lot of people is that ‘we’re back in business,’ so it’s time to get back to work.”

How the House will get back to work could include the ability for Representatives to conduct some business remotely.

“What I’ve heard with chatter on the [House] Rules working group is that we’re gonna put in a set of rules to where we can do virtual, or remote committee work, remote subject matter hearings,” West said.

West wanted to make sure that if a lawmaker were to be remote, that it’s done from the Representative’s district office, not from some vacation spot.

The Senate allowed such remote actions, such as casting votes on legislation, last May.

House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, also called for Representatives to allow for more work to be done remotely.

“But we have been ready to go back to work for some time,” Durkin said. “If planes are flying all over the United States, Targets and Walmarts are operating freely, we can do the same inside the capitol.”

Reform For Illinois, a government transparency group, said this week the public should have the same access to the state legislature that it had before the pandemic. The group also said lawmakers should approve remote voting.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday said he hopes the legislature gets back to work.

“Whether it’s remotely or in Springfield,” Pritzker said. “We need legislation to keep moving.”

Disclaimer: This content is distributed by The Center Square