18th District Congressman Darin LaHood joined several Quincy leaders and state lawmakers on Friday in calling for a better plan to reopen the state. LaHood joined Quincy Republican State Senator Jil Tracy and Paloma Republican State Representative Randy Frese in encouraging Governor J.B. Pritzker to visit Quincy and look at the city’s tier model of reopening.
LaHood said to the Quincy Herald-Whig that Quincy and Adams County were proactive in developing its “Road to Recovery” plan, which was developed by county medical professionals, community partners and business leaders. LaHood said it could be used as a blueprint for the rest of the state instead of what he called a “one size fits all” approach.
LaHood proposed that the state take a tiered approach to reopening, with Tier 1 focusing on hot spots like Chicago and Tier 3 for communities like Quincy and others in the 18th District that have few cases. He said he didn’t understand why Illinois wasn’t using the 14-day phasing in plan proposed by Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci or the State of New York. LaHood told the Herald-Whig that he hasn’t received answers why a 28-day phasing period is being used in Illinois. LaHood hopes Pritzker will travel the state and change his mind about his “Restore Illinois” plan in the coming weeks.
LaHood also told the Herald-Whig that he was happy that JBS in Beardstown was staying open. He said the nation couldn’t afford the meat supply chain to shut down and grocery stores to have shortages. He called the plant a good example of how an industry can use the medical personnel, testing, and standards of sanitizing to keep progress moving forward.
LaHood also said Friday that he expects a stimulus bill that would assist state and local governments dealing with revenue shortfalls brought on by the pandemic will be brought up soon in Congress for quick passage.