Quincy Reporter

In the eyes of state Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy), from the very start Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis has only served to make a bad situation worse.

“It’s coming up on 17 months that Gov. Pritzker has been running our state with little to no input by lawmakers or the local officials who know the community best,” Tracy said in a post to Facebook. “‘All in Illinois’ should mean bringing people to the decision-making table, not making decisions unilaterally—that’s not what inclusion or ‘all in’ looks like."

Tracy hints she fears what could come next, especially in the face of the governor recently moving to impose a universal mask mandate extending to all public and private school students. The order would also require all state employees working at congregate settings, such as long-term care facilities or veterans' homes, to be vaccinated by Oct. 4 and all teachers and staff members from preschool through 12th grade to wear masks regardless of vaccination status.

Tracy is joined by several other GOP lawmakers in blasting the governor’s actions as not being in the state’s best interest.

"The governor's continued unilateral, go-it-alone approach on pandemic decision-making actively undermines the state's ability to have broadly accepted mitigation strategies," said Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Lake Zurich).

State Rep. Tom Morrison (R-Palatine) wonders if what the governor is doing is even legal, charging it "violates constitutional checks and balances, public input, and local control."

In a statement, he added, "Our local school districts are closest to parents, students, and educators and are capable of deciding what is best for their respective communities.”

The governor is unmoved, defending his actions by stressing that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy for Pediatrics also stand in favor of universal masking. Beyond that, he adds he felt he had little choice but to impose the mandate given the growing number of school districts now essentially ignoring the CDC’s recommendations.

"My goal has always been to safely bring all kids back into the classroom and, crucially, keep them there,” he said. “Without these measures, we will likely see many more outbreaks."