Pritzker not publicly signing accountability unit law a ‘disservice to veterans,’ senator says

[January 28, 2022]  By Greg Bishop

(The center Square) – A measure creating an accountability unit in the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs is now law, but not because of the governor’s signature.

The bipartisan legislation that passed last fall sat on the governor’s desk for 60 days. Without a signature, or a veto, such legislation becomes law.

A spokesperson for Gov. J.B. Pritkzer told the Chicago Tribune there was some “internal miscommunication.”

State Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, said there’s a pattern of miscommunication inside the Pritzker administration when it comes to veterans’ affairs.

“When we had the outbreak in the veterans home it was miscommunication that led to the deaths of 36 veterans,” Rezin told The Center Square.

The COVID-19 outbreak in the fall of 2020 sickened nearly everyone. Reviews since the outbreak showed lax COVID-19 protocols, including allowing COVID-19 positive employees to continue working.

Rezin said Pritzker should have publicly heralded the accountability unit, “the one bill that was allowed to be voted on which creates this veterans accountability within the state veterans’ affairs.”

The new law requires the governor to appoint a Senate-confirmed director of the unit for a four-year term who will maintain “regular office hours” and establish “both a toll-free helpline and a dedicated electronic mail address for the purpose of accepting complaints, information, and recommendations.” The measure also provides that the unit shall function independently of the department.

Rezin said the new law is a big win for accountability, but there’s still more that needs to be done.

“The one bill that was passed and the governor did not sign the bill,” Rezin said. “He just allowed it to go into law without any public signing, which in my opinion is a disservice to veterans.”

The Chicago Tribune reported the Pritzker administration plans on celebrating the new law in the weeks ahead, once they can hold an in-person event safely. But since then, the governor has held multiple news conferences on other issues.

State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, sponsored the bill in the House.

“I'm looking forward to working with the governor to get the Veteran Accountability Unit up and running to meet the needs of veterans under IDVA care and throughout Illinois,” Kifowit said in a statement to The Center Square. “The important fact is that this is now law and we can begin to bring an oversight component to ensure our veterans are getting the highest level of care, which ranges from our veterans homes, veterans seeking to file claims, or those who need assistance programs.”

A fiscal note was not attached to the legislation that would break down the costs to taxpayers of the new unit.