Illinois' Congressional delegation is trying to get the Federal Emergency Management Agency to revise how it distributes aid after natural disasters.
When a tornado touched down in southern Illinois several years ago, devastating the small town of Harrisburg, FEMA turned down Illinois' request for disaster assistance. It happened again last year.
FEMA rejected Illinois' request following tornadoes that in late 2013 spun paths of destruction in towns like Washington and Gifford.
Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk, as well as several members of the U.S. House, say it's because FEMA uses a flawed formula. They've introduced a plan to revise it. They've tried this before; but the effort stalled.
If this latest try proves successful, it could be big for Illinois --- the measure calls for FEMA to use the revised formula retroactively, to 2012.