South West Illinois News

No one anticipated the impact COVID-19 would have on the nation at the beginning of the year and the State of Illinois definitely had no idea what was coming down the road when it developed its fiscal year budget.

Comptroller Susan Mendoza’s office has developed an online tool for residents to access and see the toll the coronavirus pandemic is having on the state in terms of state expenditures. The Southern Illinoisan reported that within three weeks, the state had spent nearly $170 million dollars on hospital equipment and personal protective gear. The biggest expenditure on any single day was in the amount of $34 million of which $7.5 million was spent on ventilators. There were a total of 64 purchases ranging from different companies and retailers.

Mendoza said the site is for transparency.

“I hope our online portal showing Illinois’ investment in fighting this deadly virus will help drive home the message that none of this should be taken lightly and that people need to stay at home and stay safe,” she said.

Part of the reason for the large amount of money spent on equipment according to Gov. J.B. Pritzker is the federal government’s failure to put the Defense Production Act in place to help facilitate purchasing power for the states. The states have been bidding against not only each other but the federal government for supplies which has driven the prices up. As an example, the Southern Illinoisan showed an N95 mask that typically costs 85 cents to $1 would run $5 to $6. Pritzker alleged there was a similar problem with ventilators and other materials.

Given the impact on the budget, it has put the state in a financial hole. When adding in the economic impact brought about by shutting down the economy, Pritzker said the state and others around the nation will need additional help from the federal government.

Pritzker said he, along with others, should be discussing the situation with their federal representatives in an effort to gain additional financial relief.