Veteran state Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) thinks a group of downstate lawmakers now pushing Gov. J.B. Pritzker to enact policy they proposed as critical to the state’s coronavirus recovery are on the right path.
“I think the idea of controlling unemployment insurance rates is a good one, just as is their proposal for the minimum wage,” Batinick told the Will County Gazette.
In a letter directly addressed to Pritzker, Republican lawmakers Dan Caulkins (Decatur), Chris Miller (Oakland), Darren Bailey (Xenia), Blaine Wilhour (Beecher City), Brad Halbrook (Shelbyville) and John Cabello (Machesney Park) all implored him to freeze rates in both categories over an average of the next 15 months in hopes of giving more small business owners a chance to recover from the ongoing crisis.
“My attitude is we need to be doing whatever we can and whatever it takes to rescue Illinois,” Batinick said. “That’s what I tell all the people I have the chance to talk with.”
Batinick recently hosted an online forum to gauge the feelings and hear the thoughts of residents in his 97th District related to the ongoing crisis.
“Help give me some ideas on how to open economy more while maintaining safety,” he posted on Facebook.
"From what I’m hearing from the people, they’d like to see us being more proactive in fighting this virus,” Batinick said. “Some of the things they think could make a difference are placing a screen in front of the cashiers at these big box outlets and limiting the number of people allowed in a store at any one time. Putting a more stringent disinfecting process in place is also big in people’s minds.”
Overall, Batinick said the spirit of the people he’s talked to seems to run the gamut in terms of where they are.
“Everyone’s till trying to figure out how to navigate this new world,” he said. “It’s a challenge, but I’m confident we’ll come back from this.”
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