Chambana Sun

Illinois State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) questioned the Illinois Liquor Control Commission regarding its request for an $11.6 million budget during the hearing conducted by the Illinois Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Business Regulations and Labor.

Before making his inquiry, however, Rose congratulated the agency for the presentation it made and lauded it for not having any audit findings. “In 14 years or so doing probe committee. I've never seen an agency not have an audit finding, so congratulations on that," Rose said.

As the proceedings went on, Rose asked the Commission about what would happen to people who lost their licenses, especially the ones who also lost their entire livelihood during the pandemic. "Are you going to work on a post-Covid opportunity for them to get their licenses back?"

Chima Enyia, executive director of the commission, assured Rose that something is being planned to address this issue. "Absolutely, that is something that we're looking at. I'll be more than willing to discuss with these senators just what does liquor industry recovery look like. And that should deal with license, that should deal with making a process to help them get back to the industry as easy but still maintain the integrity," Enyia said.