Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Wednesday signed into law a measure to guarantee disability payments to police officers and firefighters who contracted COVID-19 in the line of duty — a change sparked by an emotional plea from Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza.
Mendoza’s brother, Sgt. Joaquin Mendoza, a Chicago cop for 22 years, was hospitalized for 72 days — losing the use of his kidneys and left arm and suffering five strokes — after contracting COVID-19 on the job in 2020. But when he sought duty disability before the Chicago police pension board in February 2022, he was denied. Instead, he was put on ordinary disability, which provided half his salary — and no health care coverage.
