After Illinois State Fair Canceled, Communities Brace For Economic Hit

From The Center Square:

By Greg Bishop

The economic cost of canceling the Illinois State Fair could top $80 million, according to some estimates.

State Rep. Mike Murphy, R-Springfield, used to own a restaurant on the other side of town from the fairgrounds in Springfield. He said the fair week has always been a big week for local businesses. Murphy said he understood a traditional fair wasn’t in the cards this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but he said Gov. J.B. Pritzker should have made the decision with more input from stakeholders and the legislature.

“I just hate to think of what history is going to talk about the 101st General Assembly during this great crisis, our actions, we were nonexistent and it’s shameful,” Murphy said.

The state legislature has given the governor wide latitude to make decisions during the pandemic and lawmakers have not taken steps to curtail his authority. The General Assembly did have a truncated special session last month where it passed the largest budget in state history and a number of measures to address COVID-19 and the fallout from the pandemic. Lawmakers did not vote on Pritzker's five-phase reopening plan.

Pritzker's decision to cancel the Illinois State Fair was a blow to many, including the Illinois Farm Bureau and its members.

“Illinois Farm Bureau shares in the disappointment of many with the cancellation announcement of our 2020 Illinois State Fair,” the organization said in a statement. “We understand the Illinois Department of Agriculture and Illinois 4-H seriously considered several options, and respect their decision. We look forward to hearing more details regarding the possibility of a youth livestock competition.”

Some estimate the lost economic activity from the cancellation of the Illinois State Fair could be north of $80 million for the Springfield area from lost hotel reservations and restaurant visits.

Springfield Illinois Conventions and Visitors Bureau Director Scott Dahl said the impact is going to about $6 million to the city’s coffers just from lost hotel bookings. But it’s not just the fair. Dahl tallied has up lost convention bookings from the past few months.

“We’ve recorded through the bureau office 250 meetings that have canceled, an economic impact of about $30 million,” he said.

Pritzker said he relied on health experts to make his decisions regarding the fair.

“I waited maybe longer than others would have waited to finally make a decision hoping that we might see a very effective treatment come out or maybe even a vaccine that could make it possible for us to have that many people in one place at one time, but again the doctors are telling us that that’s not really something that we ought to do right now,” Pritzker said.

Murphy said it was the latest example of Pritzker making a unilateral decision during the pandemic without input from the legislature.

“We probably wouldn't have had any type of a fair that we’re used to but the fact is that we totally disregarded the importance of three branches of government, checks and balances, and what else could this happen with is a big concern of mine,” Murphy said.

The focus of the work of The Center Square Illinois is state- and local-level government and economic reporting that approaches stories with a taxpayer sensibility. For more stories from The Center Square, visit TheCenterSquare.com.