Illinois Valley Times

State Rep. David Welter (R-Morris) says it's time to act on the mismanagement in the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) that ultimately led to the COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans' Home last fall.

The outbreak claimed 36 lives and many lawmakers say that Gov. Pritzker's administration, including IDVA leadership, are to blame. 

“I would like to take a moment if I could to apologize to the families and loved ones who have been impacted by this tragedy here at the LaSalle Home," Welter said in a May 10 visit to the home. 

According to Welter, Pritzker showed little remorse for the outbreak when he took questions on the damning report about the outbreak that was released earlier this month and detailed the failures of the IDVA leadership. 

"[...] There was no apology to those families and those who have been impacted here, so on behalf of the state I want to apologize for our failures to properly care for your loved ones," Welter said. 

Once word of the outbreak spread to the statehouse, Republicans rallied together in a call for Pritzker's office to own up to the incompetence that caused the deaths. Welter said that many lawmakers have heeded complaints about the incident, with many constituents either knowing someone who lives or works at LaSalle. 

"We know people who have their loved ones in this home today, or did have their loved ones," Welter continued. "It’s important that we get to the bottom of what transpired, who knew what and when they knew."

The House recently passed HR62, which calls for the auditor general to probe the LaSalle Home and create a compliance report. A similar report was done on the Quincy veterans home when Legionnaires' disease ripped through the home in 2019. 

"What I continue to tell people, and some people don’t get, is that I believe many of the findings that will come about from this are findings that came about after the 2019 report," Welter said. "The same findings that were signed off by IDVA."

The governor's administration had promised that the shortcomings discovered after Quincy would be remedied. 

"Even before the coronavirus and the pandemic shutdown, there was time to implement these recommendations that were made but they simply were not done," Welter said. "That is inexcusable."

Welter filed HB 4077 with Rep. Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa), a bill that would require IDVA response on-site immediately after an outbreak. 

"If three days was too long at the Quincy home, then 11 days was completely unacceptable here," Welter said. "We are trying to find solutions so that this will never happen again and we continue to be met with resistance from the governor’s administration and others.

"When you look at that report it really talks about the shortcomings of IDVA and some with IDPH, but it takes no onus from the governor’s office and what they knew and their action or inaction with this situation."