In-Depth, Independent Probe of LaSalle Veterans Home Coronavirus Deaths Sought

From Senators Craig Wilcox and Sue Rezin:

Senators Wilcox and Rezin demand further investigation into LaSalle Veterans’ Home deaths

The role of government is to take care of those who require assistance or who cannot take care of themselves.

This responsibility is especially important for our aging veterans, who answered a call to serve, and who are now living out their twilight years in one of our state-run Veterans’ Homes.

Craig Wilcox at the microphone.

Earlier yesterday I joined Senator Sue Rezin, State Representative David Welter, and several veterans’ groups at a press conference outside of the LaSalle Veterans’ Home.

Together, we demanded a deeper investigation into mismanagement during the COVID-19 crisis that cost 36 veterans their lives, and caused over 100 other veterans and staff members to become infected with the virus.

Click here to listen to my remarks.

The top-to-bottom incompetence shown in the management of this crisis is an outrage.

The Pritzker administration, his appointees, and those managing the day-to-day operations at this facility had a responsibility to protect the veterans who live in the LaSalle facility.

Instead, their carelessness resulted in the deadliest outbreak at a state-run facility in Illinois history.

At the press conference, we also renewed a call for passage of important legislation that addresses the complete breakdown of mandated COVID-19 protocols, including:

  • Senate Bill 2251: requires IDPH to engage in an onsite visit within one business day of an infectious outbreak at a veterans’ home (filed Feb. 26, never granted a hearing)
  • Senate Bill 1471: requires state-run facilities to conduct outbreak preparedness drills (amended to include this language on April 8, never granted a hearing)
  • Senate Bill 1445: requires past employees to cooperate in investigations done by the Inspector General, which is necessary because the Director of the IL Department of Veterans Affairs at the time of the LaSalle COVID-19 outbreak refused to cooperate with the OIG investigation (amended to include this language on May 7, the bill still sits in the Senate Assignments Committee with no hearing scheduled).

Every veteran living in a state-run veterans’ home is a hero, and every one of them deserves the very best care we can offer.

Every one of them deserves to know they are safe and protected, so they can live comfortably and honorably.

Unfortunately, the State of Illinois failed them and failed their families.


Comments

In-Depth, Independent Probe of LaSalle Veterans Home Coronavirus Deaths Sought — 3 Comments

  1. An Independent Audit is definitely needed here—not one run, appointed by, or owned by Pritzker, whose watch these 36 Veterans died under.

    This was at a time when Andrew Cuomo was being looked to as the mastermind of how to “run an epidemic” at the State Level, guaranteed Fatty Pritzker tried to emulate Cuomo to be just like him, and the Veterans Homes became our version of NY Nursing Home debacle.

    Not in the same exact way, but in the same exact Lax way of “managing a Pandemic”.

    Pritzker should be indicted for what happened at LaSalle, but that would take an Independent Investigation.

    Bills by Rezin are also critical to be passed to prevent this needless death in the future at Veterans Homes in our State.

    This is all on Cuomo wannabe Pritzker.

  2. In the grand scope of things and the great multiplex crisis Illinois finds itself, this is a terrible, but small rather matter involving about 100 people.

    Here we have a FOID card disaster, the pension catastrophe and all the woke nonsensebills afoot forcing private and parochial schools under IDPH pandemic dictates, etc., etc., etc.,

    The proportionality of these metacrises must be evaluated If an entire ship is sinking and the state and and federal constitutions are being trashed while crime is skyrocketing, one does not focus all attention on such a relatively small aspect of the going under.

  3. It’s a sad commentary that we need legislation to ensure ethical behavior by individuals hired to protect and manage services for our veterans.

    Can no one simply behave like a decent human being anymore?

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