McHenry Times

State Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) is urging Illinois leaders to convene a special session of the legislature to deal with the state’s growing problems, including the issue of criminal and social justice reform.

“I have no issue with going back to tackle criminal and social justice reforms,” Ugaste told the McHenry Times. “I think we should already be back in session, addressing things that will help taxpayers and businesses in Illinois to help get people back to work. There are many things we should be back in special session for and Speaker (Mike) Madigan, President (Don) Harmon and even Gov. (J.B.) Pritzker have the power to make it happen.”

With protests across the country seemingly bubbling by the hour after the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd, Democratic Reps. Kam Buckner, Curtis Tarver and Lamont Robinson recently sent a letter to Madigan (D-Chicago) calling for a special session. The COVID-19 pandemic has kept lawmakers out of Springfield since March, with the exception of a recent four-day session to hammer out a new state budget. 

Ugaste thinks the state has paid a price for the absenteeism.  

“There’s so much work to be done with all of this coming right after the COVID pandemic,” Ugaste said. “We’ve taken a hit because of the disease economically and taken another blow with all the businesses having to be shut down. We should be down there doing whatever we can to make things a little easier for the people of Illinois.”

Given all the chaos now swirling around the state, Ugaste said he’s more hopeful now about lawmakers being called on to get back to work sooner rather than later.

“We all understand the need for things to be done,” he said.