At a press conference at the State Capitol this morning, House Republican Conference Chairman Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore), along with State Representatives Charlie Meier (R-Okawville), Patrick Sheehan (R-Lockport), and Brad Fritts (R-Dixon) called out the misplaced priorities of Illinois Democrats and urged action to address chaos at state agencies. Agencies under Governor J.B. Pritzker’s leadership have been riddled with controversy among reports of abuse, neglect, and improper procedures.
“Our very job as lawmakers is to answer to our constituents, to be their voice, and to advocate for their needs in the legislature,” said Keicher. “Out of that also comes our responsibility to protect our state’s most vulnerable citizens. However, that obligation continues to be ignored.”
Since July 2018, the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) has failed to produce incident-specific reports for over 1,200 child deaths and more than 3,000 serious injuries under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Meanwhile, the Department of Human Services (DHS) recently announced that the federal Department of Justice will be auditing the State-Operated Developmental Centers (SODC), specifically the Choate, Shapiro, and Mabley Centers, for abuse and neglect.
“Gov. Pritzker has been in office for six years, and, during that time, he and Democrats in the legislature have increased the annual state budget from $39 billion to $54 billion annually,” Keicher continued. “Yet, we still have core agencies – DCFS, DHS – that are failing our most vulnerable.
“It’s time for the Governor and Democrats to stop the banter and join us in reform efforts to end this chaos at state agencies.”
During the press conference, the legislators also noted several proposals that have been ignored over the years that would address the problems these agencies are facing but that the Governor and majority party Democrats continue to ignore.
To view the complete press conference, click here.