SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker appealed the Trump administration’s decision to deny Illinois’ request for federal disaster relief on Thursday.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied Illinois’ request last month without explanation for federal resources to respond to August storms. In an appeal submitted to the agency, the state provided updated damage numbers showing the storm cost eligible for public assistance is now $43 million — up from $27.6 million in the original request and well above FEMA’s $24.9 million standard.
“Our challenge has been what’s the standard?” Deputy Gov. Bria Scudder told Capitol News Illinois. “It seems as though this administration is playing politics with disaster assistance and of course that’s not part of the appeal, but it doesn’t change our responsibility to the people that have been affected.”…