Illinois State Senate District 53 issued the following announcement on May 13.
Illinois lawmakers need to return to Springfield immediately to review the governor’s controversial re-opening plan, along with passing a state budget before it’s too late, according to State Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington).
“Since the legislature last met in March, the governor has been unilaterally deciding how the state handles the COVID-19 pandemic and when and how people can go back to some sense of normalcy,” said Barickman. “The COVID-19 response and re-opening are probably the biggest public policy issues our state has faced in decades, and anything of this magnitude calls for the input of the people of Illinois through their elected representatives in the co-equal legislative branch.”
On Tuesday, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker also joined the push for the legislature to return to Springfield to deal with COVID-19 issues and to work on a state budget.
“I’m glad that the governor is now in agreement about the need for lawmakers to meet,” said Barickman. “The clock is ticking. We are already behind on a budget process that will face fiscal challenges that none of us have ever seen, and the legislature has had no input on the state’s COVID-19 response or re-opening. Senate President Don Harmon and House Speaker Mike Madigan need to convene the legislature immediately.”
The Senator is also asking for the public’s help. Here on Senator Barickman’s website, JasonBarickman.org, there is a petition where people can add their name to the call for immediate public hearings on the governor’s re-opening plan.
Original source can be found here.
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