SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — A State Democratic plan would create a commission that would recommend policies to reduce food deserts in Illinois.
File - A food shopper pushes a cart of groceries at a supermarket in Bellflower, Calif., on Monday, Feb. 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Allison Dinner, File)
It would also review current policies to see if they are working as intended.
For an area to be considered a food desert, it has to be one mile or farther from a supermarket in the city or ten miles and farther in rural Illinois. It also considers income level, where if an area is too poor to afford food, then it is considered a food desert.
State Rep. Sonya Harper (D-Chicago) said in response to other policies addressing food deserts, the impact has been minimal.
"To be honest I haven't felt a difference in my community in my food desert that I've been living in for the past forty years," Harper said.
The bill saw pushback from Republicans, where some said the state could fix it's issues if Illinois becomes more business friendly.
"We need to look at the root causes," State Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) said. "Whether it's a food desert, a hospital desert, a medical desert an education desert whatever the desert might be we need to address how to make this state a more business friendly [and] a more family friendly environment."
The proposal passed out of the House with a 95-9 vote. It now heads to the Senate where lawmakers could talk about it in the coming weeks.
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