(The Center Square) – The Illinois
House, led by a new House Speaker, will provide oversight of Gov. J.B.
Pritzker's handling of the state's COVID-19 response, something welcomed by
members of both parties that haven’t seen much of that over the past year.
Last week, state Rep. Fred Crespo,
D-Hoffman Estates, said for months he and others have grown frustrated with the
lack of cooperation with the Pritzker administration on things like the
unemployment backlog and fraud.
“But I think if you speak to either
our Republican colleagues or our Democratic colleagues, we’re asking for the
same thing and we’re not getting that information,” Crespo said.
State Rep. Mike Marron, R-Fithian,
said the legislature has failed to hold the Pritzker administration accountable
on not just problems with unemployment, but also with the backlog in Firearm
Owner Identification Card applications.
“I think you’re seeing a disturbing
pattern here with a lot of the administration where the FOID card is just
another example of where the governor has failed,” Marron said.
One avenue Crespo suggested to get
information from the Pritzker administration was withholding money from
agencies in order to get answers.
Crespo was reportedly helpful in
generating support among Democrats for new Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch,
D-Hillside, who last week took over for state Rep. Michael Madigan,
D-Chicago. Madigan had served as House Speaker for all but two years since
1983.
State Rep. Blaine Wilhour, R-Beecher
City, has for months decried the governor’s unilateral authority and said
Democrats failed to speak up under Madigan.
“I think that Speaker Welch has said
specifically that it’s his intention for the legislature to be a check on the
executive branch and I welcome that with open arms,” Wilhour said.
Welch last week indicated he plans
to provide a check on the Pritzker administration.
“The legislature is going to be a
check on the executive branch,” Welch told political blogger Rich Miller.
State Rep. Mike Zalewski,
D-Hillside, said he’ll seek more leeway from Welch for legislative committees.
“Maybe we give committee chairs a
little more ability to control silos of policy and I think he’ll be receptive
to that,” Zalewski said.
Under Madigan most of last year,
House committees didn’t provide oversight on the Pritzker administration’s
handling of COVID-19 with the exception of hearings about an outbreak at a home
for veterans.
The House is back on Feb. 2.