Illinois House Republicans are accusing Governor J.B. Pritzker of neglecting serious and ongoing issues affecting children and developmentally disabled individuals in state-run facilities. At a press conference, GOP lawmakers said the administration has failed to act on decades-long problems, including abuse, injuries, and deaths in the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and other agencies.
State Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) said Democrats are focused on distractions like banning plastic bags and decriminalizing prostitution while vulnerable people suffer. “He doesn’t put attention on the most vulnerable members of our society,” Keicher said, pointing directly at Pritzker’s focus on national political ambitions rather than Illinois’ failures.
The data is staggering. Since 2018, DCFS has not produced reports for more than 1,200 child deaths and over 3,000 serious injuries in its care. Meanwhile, Pritzker has made frequent appearances in other states and contributed to out-of-state political campaigns, drawing criticism from Republican leaders.
State Rep. Bradley Fritts (R-Dixon) said the governor needs to stop “campaigning in swing states, funding Supreme Court races in Wisconsin, or chasing after CNN and MSNBC for a crumb of national political attention” and instead “get to work in Illinois.”
At an unrelated event in Springfield, Pritzker denied the allegations, calling them “insane.” He claimed his administration is making safety adjustments and working to shield the state from federal policy shifts under President Trump. “I don’t think in this circumstance anybody who holds state office can not talk about what’s going on at the federal level,” he said.
But Republicans pointed to even deeper concern: a federal investigation. The U.S. Department of Justice is now investigating Illinois’ treatment of residents in state-run developmental centers operated by the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). The probe will focus on conditions at the Choate, Jack Mabley, and Samuel Shapiro developmental centers.
Fritts’ office confirmed the investigation and said the pattern of abuse, neglect, and lack of transparency must be addressed immediately. “The federal government is stepping in because this administration refuses to take responsibility,” he said.
