Illinois Valley Times

State Rep. Dan Swanson (R-Woodhull) is still seeking answers after the LaSalle Veterans' Home COVID-19 outbreak left 36 dead.

“As both a veteran of the U.S. Army and National Guard, I know caring for our vets is one of the most important charges we have in our public service,” Swanson said at a press conference held by House Republicans that was posted to YouTube. “At the press conference we had last week, I explained to everyone following the outbreak of Legionnaires' disease we had at the Quincy Homes, I and others traveled to Quincy and talked about steps they were executing to contain the outbreak. In those conversations, we noted important steps and protocols to minimize future exposure for our veterans and staff and how to follow those procedures. We all realized adherence to these standards were a matter of life and death.”

Swanson described how then-gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker made the issue a central theme of his campaign platform.

“Certainly he understood the potency from a public relations perspective of having lost heroes at a home because proper protocols not (being) followed,” he said.

After the LaSalle deaths, Veterans Affairs Director Linda Chapa LaVia was forced to step down from her post, though Swanson argues there is plenty of blame to go around.

“Negligence means failing to do something you should have done. In the case of the LaSalle Homes it wasn’t just Director Chapa LaVia that failed to do her job. We need to initiate hearings now to review these findings and probe deeper into who knew what and where. We owe the families of these hometown heroes nothing less.”