SPRINGFIELD… State Representative Mike Marron (R-Fithian) has vowed to show up at the IDES office in Springfield every day and provide live updates every hour during business hours until the Director of IDES or Governor Pritzker calls to discuss the serious issues affecting our citizens.
Rep. Marron and House Republican caucus members have been calling on Governor JB Pritzker and state officials to rectify the failed unemployment system in Illinois and provide immediate assistance and relief to families across the state.
In March, Governor J.B. Pritzker issued two executive orders that 1) restricted dine-in service at restaurants, bars and food establishments, and 2) closed non-essential businesses across the state until April 30, 2020 (tentatively). These pre-determined actions resulted in mass layoffs and furloughs in every part of the state, with nearly 500,000 residents filing for unemployment and countless others who cannot get through to IDES and are not receiving deserving benefits.
Rep. Marron said, “Me and my House Republican colleagues understand the enormity of the COVID pandemic and the serious ramifications that have come with it, but it has now been ten months and the Governor continues to blame the federal government instead of bringing the legislature back to Springfield to work these problems out.”
The federal government’s CARES Act allows for any self-employed workers, gig workers and independent contractors to apply for unemployment insurance for the first time. While states across the country have rolled out their plans with minimal issues, Illinois has completely mishandled our approach leaving millions of Illinois workers struggling.
“The failure of IDES has to be answered for by the Governor. If he was not able to handle this process efficiently, then he should have called in the legislature to help handle the enormity of these decisions together,” said Rep Marron.
“Since no one in the Pritzker administration will call me back, I will be here waiting at the IDES building until someone decides to discuss these issues with me because my constituents deserve better,” said Rep. Marron. “The Governor made the decision to handle this process on his own, he made the decision two years in a row to sign completely reckless budget bills that went billions over revenue, and he made the decision to allow big box stores to operate while mom and pop shops stay closed. Now, I will be here until he makes the decision to call me,” concluded Rep. Marron.