Lake County Gazette

Veteran state Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) has grown tired of all the excuses for why so many residents continue to suffer due to an Illinois Department of Employment Security system that continues to sputter.

“One of the most frequent concerns I hear about these days is the failure of the state to fix problems with unemployment assistance,” Wilcox said. “I realize the system was overwhelmed at the start of the pandemic, but those early processing problems should have been fixed by now.”

Wilcox recently joined forces with nine other GOP senators in demanding answers in a letter he and state Sens. Chapin Rose, Neal Anderson, Donald DeWitte, Dan McConchie, Jim Oberweis, Jason Plummer, Sue Rezin, Paul Schimpf and Jason Weaver, who all signed off on a letter sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“One big improvement would be reopening unemployment offices for face-to-face contact, with trained staff and precautions in place,” he said. “Reopening the Employment Security offices for face-to-face assistance, as Secretary of State Jesse White allowed for motor services buildings, is the best solution,” the senators added.

Anything short of that and Wilcox and company fear the carnage will continue.

"Surely in six months, couldn't we have installed Plexiglas barriers and outside air ventilation systems in the IDES offices by now?" they added in the letter."Limit the number of people in the offices, socially distance, mask, all that, hell, we don't care, put a tent up outside and buy laptops for the staff – but get these offices back open. People are hurting."

Meanwhile, the Pritzker administration continues to point to steps they’re taking to make a difference, including recently partnering with a private firm to create a system for state residents to apply for benefits under the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.

Wilcox worries if any of it will be enough to make Illinois the same place again, especially its small industry.

“I’m trying to stay zeroed in on the new opportunities this time may create for businesses that are able to dedicate themselves to business-friendly policies,” he said. “That’s something our governor has been able to do and sadly we’re paying a price.”