McLean County Times

For a year, Illinoisans out of work have been unable to utilize in-person services from the Illinois Department of Employment Services (IDES). Lawmakers have had enough. 

State Rep. Dan Brady (R-Normal) joined several Republican colleagues in a May 19 press conference to challenge Gov. J.B. Pritzker and IDES to kick into high-gear and reopen the state's unemployment offices. 

"This administration’s refusal to take responsibility for their failures and to work to fix them has cost Illinois families dearly," Brady said. "Families thrown out of work this year by the coronavirus shutdown have been waiting weeks or even months for responses for unemployment regarding their claims.

"If that isn’t bad enough, a data breach on the Illinois Department of Employment Security website also left them open to identity theft on top of everything else."

Brady is one of many legislators calling for action as constituents come forward with horror stories of waiting up to six months to even be acknowledged by the state unemployment office. In March, state Rep. Charlie Meier (R-Okawville) said that IDES has abandoned his voters when they needed the department the most. 

Brady is frustrated that Illinois is now a year into Pritzker's COID response plan with no progress at IDES.

"[...] We still don’t have answers about this complete failure," Brady said. "The governor’s been dodging questions for a year or more that we need answers to. In regards to these shutdowns, the struggles that have occurred in the unemployment claims process, the list goes on."

Frustration boiled over for state Rep. Tom Bennett (R-Lake Villa) earlier this month too. He questioned why IDES remains shuttered despite the COVID pandemic being in its final hours. 

Brady said that even getting involved as a legislator has not helped. 

"[...] Our staffs continue to try and conduct Zoom meetings, seminars, making calls to IDES ourselves, trying to help constituents try and navigate through this process as they try and get the help that they need," Brady said. 

All in all, though, it comes down to Pritzker taking action, according to the representative. 

"We need the governor to step up, take responsibility for this failure on his watch when we get to the bottom of why business closures policies were enacted last year without even the basic resources  and places needed to help displaced workers," Brady said. "We don’t have the answers. 

"And a big question remains:  when will our local IDES offices open?"