The Illinois General Assembly is set to gather at the Bank of Springfield Center to allow social distancing amid pandemic.
Brian Oaks, general manager of the downtown convention center, said that he’s been talking with House Speaker Michael Madigan’s office. “We don’t have anything final,” Oaks said this morning. Within hours confirmation came via a report from the Associated Press: The House will convene in Springfield on May 20.
Steve Brown, Madigan spokesman, said he could not comment until the conclusion of a caucus meeting.
State legislators haven’t met since March, but Gov. JB Pritzker has said that the legislature needs to meet. There is much on the agenda, including passage of a state budget.
Oakes said that all but three convention center employees have been furloughed since the cancellation of large public gatherings. The convention center is paying for health insurance for furloughed employees who are collecting unemployment benefits, he said. About 30 employees have been affected, he said, with about 20 of those being fulltime workers.
Contact Bruce Rushton at brushton@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in The essentials.
