Galesburg Reporter

Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) joined several other Republican lawmakers at Lunch With Our Legislators event with the Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences on April 9.

Tracy said in an April 12 Facebook post she attended the event with Rep. Randy Frese (R-Paloma) and Missouri Rep. Greg Sharpe (R-Ewing) in Quincy.

"The college’s students typically travel to the state Capitol when the General Assembly is in session to talk with lawmakers about legislation that affects healthcare professions," Tracy said. "This year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lawmakers met with the college’s students in Quincy."

Usually, the college students travel to Springfield during the legislative session to discuss the status of bills that could impact their profession, but this year the lawmakers went to them.

"Nurse staffing ratio comes up quite a bit yearly," Tracy said, WGEM reported. "We hear from you all regionally you all and your health care providers explaining how that would impact negatively, for the most part, your industry," Tracy said.

Tracy said the nurse staffing ratio in the region is a hot topic.

Tracy, Frese and Sharpe met with senior nursing students for the event. Frese, who represents the 94th District, said legislators wanted to hear what the students had to say.

"Let them know what your concerns are," Frese said, according to WGEM. "Because if we don't know what your concerns are it's tough for us to initiate things to do something about it. So I would strongly suggest you do something to get involved in some way. Whatever is comfortable for you."

Students discussed the status of current bills, as well as when they will make it to the floor. The nursing students had an open discussion and the lawmakers were there to answer any questions the students had on the bills, WGEM reported.