West Central Reporter

State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) has had enough of what she sees as Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s one-man rule.

“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 points to the governor’s recent move in imposing a universal mask mandate for all public and private schools as the latest example of his overreach. The order also mandates that all state employees working at congregate settings, such as long-term care facilities or veteran homes, be vaccinated as of Oct. 4. Teachers and staff members at day cares and preschools through 12th grade will likewise be required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status, with indoor sports and extracurricular events being included.

In defending his actions, Pritzker told the Daily Herald, "My goal has always been to safely bring all kids back into the classroom and, crucially, keep them there. Without these measures, we will likely see many more outbreaks."

In pointing out that the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention and The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends universal masking, he said, "As governor, it's my duty to take immediate and urgent action to slow the spread of the delta variant" of COVID-19. "People are dying that don't have to die."

Up until now, some suburban school districts have required masking while others have left the decision in the hands of parents and students.

Tracy isn’t alone among Republican lawmakers in arguing that the governor’s heavy-handed approach is not the answer.

"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) went even further, charging Pritzker’s methods "violates constitutional checks and balances, public input, and local control." In a statement, he said "Our local school districts are closest to parents, students, and educators and are capable of deciding what is best for their respective communities.”

Pritzker argues he believes the law is on his side.

"This is a mandate,” he said, adding that districts that ignore his rule could be legally liable for any child that contracts COVID while in a school setting.

 “We have legal authority to enforce this,” he added. “We're trying to get every child into school every day so they can learn properly.”