Illinois Valley Times

Illinois state Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon) is intent on making sure no stone goes unturned when uncovering all that went wrong in the LaSalle Veterans’ Home tragedy.

“As we begin to evaluate this tragedy and seek answers to what happened or didn't happen and when, it's important that we review the timeline of events as they unfolded over the past year plus,” Demmer said during a recent news conference after the release of the inspector general's report on the veterans' home. “First, let's remember that this public health emergency began on March 5 of 2020 after Illinois had its first confirmed case of COVID-19 Jan. 24, 2020. During that time, every industry and every person's lives in the state of Illinois were changed dramatically and 95% of our attention every day was on COVID-19; what to do to protect ourselves and our loved ones from the public health emergency and what steps we should take to ensure that our communities will be safe.”

By the beginning of November, Demmer said the first case was reported at LaSalle, 282, days after the state of Illinois saw its first COVID-19 positive case and after “months and months of dramatic and life-altering recommendations had come down from global, national, state and local health authorities.”

Still, questions abound about LaSalle being prepared for what seems clear was coming.

“The report said during the first seven months of the pandemic, the management team and staff did not anticipate and were not prepared for an outbreak — 282 days (of a) public health emergency that changed everyone's lives, the management and staff at the veterans' home did not anticipate and was not prepared for an outbreak,” Demmer added. “That is a clear failure of leadership that is denial that is total chaos and confusion.

In the report, some of the harshest criticism is reserved for Gov. J.B. Pritzker, including accusations he had appointed then-VA Director Linda Chapa LaVia but allowed her to abdicate her responsibilities to a non-medical chief of staff, and Demmer seems to agree.

“The governor claimed that Veterans Affairs had done an outstanding job and covered up the fact that two days later a report found that they were not prepared and they did not anticipate the circumstance,” he said. “The report issued by the Inspector General Department of Human Services painted a clear picture of negligence but what it didn't show is why the governor's office and Department of Public Health failed to act when they knew an outbreak was ongoing or when they knew that individuals in congregate living facilities were at a much greater risk of negative experience due to COVID-19 exposure and contracting of the virus. We as a legislature must assert our ability to be a check and balance against the executive branch and we must conduct hearings to understand what happened.”

Demmer said he’s convinced there’s just one place to go from here.

“It's time for us to hold hearings, to invite former director (Linda) Chapa LaVia, to invite current Veterans Affairs director (Terry) Prince, to invite current to Department of Public Health Director (Ngozi) Ezike and any individuals in the governor's office who are responsible for overseeing the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Public Health,” he said. “The people of Illinois demand answers and we must conduct legislative hearings to provide them.”