East Central Reporter

A downstate Republican state House lawmaker is adding his voice in support of business groups that are lobbying the governor to end pandemic unemployment relief, warning of dire consequences if that doesn't happen.

"Business groups say there are currently tens of thousands of unfilled jobs in Illinois as employers of all types struggle to bring in workers," state House Rep. Chris Miller (R-Oakland) said in a Monday, July 19, Facebook post. "As a result, job creators will continue to leave Illinois and head to pro-business states."

Miller's post linked to a Heart of Illinois ABC news story published three days earlier about business groups who sent a letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, asking him to end pandemic unemployment payments.

The business groups also asked Pritzker in their letter to restore work search requirements for unemployment assistance.

Experts have said that resolving why people aren't going back to work is far more complex than just taking away unemployment assistance in an attempt to force low-wage workers back into menial jobs.

In their June 13 letter to the governor, the business groups also called for the state's Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund to be returned to solvency using the up-to $5 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that still remain.

"It has been estimated that as much as half of all UI benefits nationally were paid fraudulently," the letter said without citing where that estimate came from.

In a Facebook post earlier this week, Miller referred a WGN9 news story about an Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) report to the U.S. Department of Labor that it lost more than $14.8 million to fraud since the pandemic began. That amount did not include money lost to identity theft-related unemployment fraud, which IDES is still counting.

"This is an abject failure on the part of this administration," Miller said in his more recent Facebook post.

In their letter to Pritzker, the business groups said they shouldn't have to pay for that.

"Employers and employees should not be required to pay for that fraud and utilization of the ARPA monies is an appropriate and responsible use as it pays down debt, saves the state tens of millions in annual interest payments, and protects employers and employees," the letter said. "Guidance from the U.S Department of the Treasury clearly allows and encourages the use of ARPA monies for this purpose."

Miller has represented Illinois' 110th House District since January 2019. In November's General Election, Miller soundly defeated independent challenger Kody Czerwonka, taking more than 76% of the vote. His wife is U.S. House Rep. Mary Miller, who represents Illinois' 15th congressional district.

Illinois's 110th House District in southeast Illinois includes all or parts of Coles, Clark, Crawford, Cumberland, Edgar and Lawrence counties.