Hoffman: Governor Must Lead to Resolve Legionnaires Outbreak at Quincy Veterans’ Home

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – As cases continue to emerge surrounding Legionnaires Disease at the Quincy Veterans’ Home, state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, is leading the charge to provide answers for Illinois veterans.

“The first alleged report of legionnaires’ disease at the Quincy Veterans’ Home surfaced nearly three years ago,” Hoffman said. “Since that time, many have fallen ill, 13 people have died, and Governor Rauner has done everything in his power to keep this terrible situation from reaching the public. This cannot continue. I’m calling directly on the governor and his agencies to release all relevant information to the legislature so we can get to the bottom of this.”

Hoffman’s House Resolution 726 calls on the Rauner administration, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and the Department of Public Health to release all relevant emails, studies, and information relating to the outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease at the Quincy Veterans’ Home to address why precautions weren’t taken from the start.

“It is our responsibility to ensure that our veterans’ are taken care of – to lead lives without fear of poor care or illness,” Hoffman said. “I will continue fighting for the interests of our veterans on this issue until we get to the bottom of what happened so there is a comprehensive plan moving forward to ensure this won’t happen again.”